


Second Chance for Love: Summertime Fun

by DavidFalkayn



Series: Second Chance For Love [3]
Category: Daria (Cartoon), Star Trek
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-04
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-07-25 03:15:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 43,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16188932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DavidFalkayn/pseuds/DavidFalkayn
Summary: It's summer now for Elizaveta, Angie, the Morgendorffers and all their friends.  Weddings, reunions, summer activities...the beach...and maybe a party or two.





	1. Wedding Bell Blues

**Author's Note:**

> This story picks up from where story one ends.

“Thanks for switching weekends with me, Christie.” Elizaveta said to her fellow employee at the bookstore as she was refreshing the shelves in the young adults section. “My anya’s niece is getting married this weekend.”

“Not a problem!” Christie, a young dark-haired woman currently a student at Lawndale Community College responded. “I could use the hours.”

“Taking summer courses?” Elizaveta asked as she finished her shelving.

“Yeah.” Christie nodded her head, “Management 101. I figured I’d go ahead and knock that out before getting into the intro accounting courses this fall.”

“Excuse me?”

Turning about, Elizaveta saw an attractive dark-haired boy wearing a t-shirt and khaki cargo pants.

“Can I help you?” Elizaveta politely responded.

“I was looking for Proust.” The young man inquired.

“Over there.” Elizaveta responded with a smile, “In the world literature section.”

“Thanks.” The boy responded.

“He’s a cutie…” Christie smirked.

“He’s all yours.” Elizaveta chuckled, “I’m off the market.” Her laughter then faded to a warm smile as an attractive platinum-blonde haired girl entered the bookstore. 

“Damn.” Tom Sloane muttered under his breath as he overheard the conversation while browsing the shelves. Then, once again hearing the distinctive accent coming from the attractive blonde store clerk, he glanced in her direction, his eyes again widening in appreciation as he saw a lovely, well-proportioned, platinum-blonde haired teenage girl wearing stylish jeans and a sky-blue t-shirt walking into the store.

“Over here, szereto!” Elizaveta called out as the platinum-blonde, with a smile on her face, walked over. “Ready for lunch?” She asked as she gave her girlfriend a kiss.

“Whenever you are, baby.” Angie replied as she returned her lover’s kiss.

 

“Batting a thousand today, Tom.” The teenage boy grunted as he picked not only the Proust book he was looking for, but also a volume by Dostoevsky.

“Let me punch out and we can go.” Elizaveta said as she walked back to the employee’s area and clocked out for her lunch break. Returning moments later, she took her girlfriend’s hand, “So…what are you in the mood for?”

“How’s about Chinese?” Angie suggested.

“Sounds good.” Elizaveta grinned, “Come on…I’m hungry.” Waving at her fellow employee, Elizaveta exclaimed, “See you in forty-five, Christie!”

“Have a good lunch!”

As the teenage boy laid the books he wanted to buy on the counter and presented his charge card, he remarked with a rueful grin to the cashier as he watched the two blondes depart the store holding hands, “Struck out before even getting a chance to bat.”

Smirking, Christie quipped back, “Can’t win ‘em all.” Ringing up his purchase, she gave the boy the charge slip. Taking her copy of the slip, she smiled, “Thank you for your purchase Mr. Sloane. Please come again.”

 

“So…how’s the job?” Angie asked as she and Elizaveta sat down at a vacant table with their lunches.

“I like it.” Elizaveta replied as she took a bite from her eggroll. “The hours are good and the other people working there are nice. How’s your job going?”

“Eh…” Angie shrugged her shoulders as she took a bite of fried rice. “They’ve got me working Junior 5 this week. Theresa’s not so bad to work with, but the manager of that section’s an old prune-face. I had to practically beg her to get the time off to come with you to the wedding.”

“Well…I’m glad you’re coming.” Elizaveta sighed, “I really didn’t want to go without you.” She shook her head, “Anya’s a bundle of nerves right now…”

“Tell me about it, baby.” Angie gently prompted as she took a sip of her hot green tea.

“Anya’s nervous because this will be the first time in a long time that she’s been in the same room with her sisters and her mother and…” Elizaveta shook her head, “…well…I’ve told you about the problems she’s had with her family.”

“Yeah, love.” Angie replied as she reached over and stroked her lover’s hand, “So…what else is going on?”

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, she sipped her tea, “Daria and Quinn are getting fitted for bridesmaid gowns now at the bridal shop downtown…”

“They’re probably going to run into Brittany and Jodie there.” Angie interjected with a grin, “They’re modeling at a bridal expo this weekend. At least you dodged being a bridesmaid.”

“Thank God!” Elizaveta chuckled, “I don’t think I could endure that.”

“Well…” Angie smiled, “…I’m glad you managed to be able to get me an invite as your plus one. Aunt Ellie’s coming over this weekend so Mom won’t be in the house all alone.”

“That’s good.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I’m glad you’re coming with me.” Elizaveta sighed as she too her girlfriend’s hands in hers. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long weekend. I see at least one hot bath in the future.”

“Don’t worry, baby…” Angie exclaimed with a broad grin on her face, “We’ll get through this together. And as for that hot bath—we’ll take that together too.”

“Mmmm….” Elizaveta purred, “Sounds good. Then, glancing at the clock on the wall, the young Hungarian let out breath of air, “Lunchtime’s about over, szereto. I better get back to work.”

“Same here, lover.” Angie replied as she gave her girlfriend a kiss. “I’ll pick you up after you get off.”

 

After kissing Angie goodbye, Elizaveta walked up to the front door of her house and then, opening it and walking in, was witness to a frenzied scene. “Windsor Hills! Nothing but the best for Mom’s favorite daughter’s little girl!” Helen scowled as she slammed down the phone.

“At least Windsor Hills has that legendary thirteenth hole…” Jake muttered in a voice he thought couldn’t be overheard, “Maybe I’ll be able to stay out of the line of fire.”

“You don’t get out of it that easy, Jake.” Helen snapped. “You’re going to suffer with the rest of us. Think wedding…not golfing!”

“Dammit.” Jake muttered as he noticed Elizaveta entering the house. Calling out in an effort to divert his wife’s attention away from the wedding, he grinned, “Guess who’s home—our working girl! How’s the job?”

Abetting her step-father’s efforts, Elizaveta smiled broadly, “Pretty good day today. I did mostly shelving, but Mr. Hotchkiss is planning to train me on the register next week.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head approvingly, “It’s a lot more responsibility. She then looked at her other daughters, “Daria…Quinn…what sort of summer activities have you got lined up?”

Quinn responded with a bright smile, “Besides my regular babysitting customers, I’ve picked up a couple of new ones—the Coopers and the Davidsons.”

“That’s my girl!” Jake exclaimed as the focus of attention shifted to the oldest Morgendorffer sibling.

“What are your plans, Daria?” Helen asked.

“I was thinking about adopting the life of a Bohemian expatriate.” Daria snarked as she barely managed to keep the snarl trying to force itself on her face from appearing.

“Daria!” Helen heaved an exasperated sigh, “You’re not going to sit around the house doing nothing but watching that disgusting show on TV all summer! You have one week after we come back from Erin’s wedding to find something constructive to do or we’ll find something for you!”

Grumbling curses under her breath, Daria stomped up the stairs as Elizaveta looked on. “What’s got her in such a bad mood?”

“You mean worse than usual?” Quinn jibed and then responded as both her mother and Elizaveta gave her a sharp look, “The seamstress had a hard time fitting her for her dress and kept on sticking her with pins.”

“That’d do it.” Elizaveta chuckled as Quinn exited the room, making her way up the stairs to her room.

“Thanks for letting Angie come with us, anya.” Elizaveta said with a smile.

“We were glad to.” Helen replied as Jake nodded his head, “I just feel sorry for all the crap you two are probably going to have to deal with this weekend.” She then cautioned, “Not everyone there’s going to be accepting of your relationship.”

“We had a feeling that would be the case.” Elizaveta sighed, “We’ll do our best to keep our cool.”

“That’s going to be easier said than done, dearie.” Helen warned and then sounded a supportive note, “Do your best, but don’t let anyone run over you either. Just…” her lips turned up in a wry grin, “…try to keep the body count low.”

Her chuckles fading, Elizaveta regarded the haggard features of her step-mother with concern, “How are you holding up?” She asked in a solicitous tone as she and her step-parents all sat down on the couch.

“Minute by minute.” Helen sighed, shaking her head, “Mother spared no expense for Rita’s wedding and it’s looking like she’s doing the same for Erin…but when me and Jake got married, she couldn’t even be bothered to show up at the wedding…and neither did Amy for that matter. No one from my family even bothered even sending a goddamned card.”

“At least my mom and sister showed up.” Jake recalled and then consoled his wife, “And at least you and Rita touch base with each other on the phone now and then at holidays and all. When was the last time you heard from Amy?”

“It’s been at least a decade.” Helen sighed. “I think Amy decided to cut us out entirely.” She then shook her head, “I have a feeling this is going to be a three-bottle of wine weekend.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a crooked grin, “Well…maybe we should consider a hot tub…that way you and apa can join me and Angie and we can just lie back and unwind.”

“That’s not a bad idea, dearie!” Helen laughed, letting all the tension she’d built up go away—at least for the moment. Then, smiling at her husband, she remarked, “You know…we could use that bonus you just got to get a hot tub and more. We’ve been wanting to turn the backyard into a place where we can entertain anyway…”

“You’re right, Helen!” Jake exclaimed with a broad grin on his face. “With what we’ve got now, we could do it right. A hot tub…an outdoor bar…fire pit…grill…table and chairs…let’s do it!”

“Okay.” Helen smiled, grateful at the distraction from having to think about the upcoming wedding, “We’ll get started when we get back.” She then took a deep breath and exhaled as the wedding once again pushed itself forward, “Well…time to get dinner started and then we’ve got a lot of packing to do. If we’re going to get to Leesville in time, we’re going to need to get an early start tomorrow.”

 

“You know…” Jake shook his head, “…even taking Angie with us, we had room for my golf clubs.”

“We’re here for the wedding, Jake.” Helen sighed, “Not for you to get in eighteen holes. Besides…” she grimaced, “…I want to get the hell out of here as soon as the reception is over. I don’t want to spend anymore time there than I have to.”

“Who’s your sister’s plus one anyway, dear?” Jake asked as he paid his attention on the road.

“I’m not really sure.” Helen let out a slight snort of derision, “She dumped that sculptor and the skydiving instructor had that accident and I think Bruno’s doing five to ten in a Federal lockup…”

“No offense, Mrs. Morgendorffer…” Angie quipped, “But your sister sure can pick them.”

“Tell me about it!” Helen chuckled as Jake turned into the driveway to Windsor Hills.

“Wow!” Quinn exclaimed as Angie shook her head.

“Damn! Talk about your ante-bellum mansions.” The platinum-blonde remarked.

Daria then crooked her fingers as she sarcastically quipped, “Redrum! Redrum!”

“This is going to set your mother back a lot.” Jake remarked to his wife, “She’s really going all out here.”

“Not like she couldn’t spend it on something else…” Helen growled, “Like college funds for her other granddaughters.”

His laughter quickly giving way to sober reflection, Jake sighed, “Yeah…”

“It’s okay, Jake.” Helen sighed, “I keep telling myself that Erin didn’t have the same advantages growing up our girls do.”

“Advantages?” Quinn remarked snidely to Daria.

“You got me.” Daria responded.

Glaring at her sisters, Elizaveta squeezed Angie’s hand as she gave her step-mother a supportive look. Whispering in Angie’s ear, the young Hungarian quipped, “Can we open the door and throw my sisters out?”

“Don’t tempt me.” Angie replied in a barely audible whisper as she squeezed her lover’s hand. “Those two don’t realize how good they’ve got it.”

Stopping the car at the entrance to the resort, Jake handed the keys to the valet with a request for him to be careful with the car. Letting out a breath as the valet sped off with the car, Jake gritted his teeth as he spotted Rita with her current escort walking out to meet them. Turning to Elizaveta and Angie, he remarked, “Now everything’s about to start going from bad to worse.”

“Helen!” A blonde-haired woman called out.

“Rita!” Helen called back as the two sisters hugged.

“The girls look beautiful.” Rita smiled and then noticed Daria wearing her ill fitted dress, “But why aren’t you wearing the same dress the other bridesmaids are wearing, Daria?”

“I am.” Daria replied through clenched teeth. “I can’t help it if the seamstress doesn’t know how to sew.”

“And who are these two girls?” Rita asked as her attention shifted to Elizaveta and Angie.

“This is my step-daughter, Elizaveta.” Helen replied with a big smile as she introduced Elizaveta, “And this is her plus one, Angie.”

“Plus one?” Rita’s eyebrow lifted, “As in…”

“As in they’re going out with each other.” Helen answered back in a challenging voice.

In an effort to ease tensions, Jake called out to the man standing next to Rita, “Paul? Paul Myerson?”

“You know Paul?” Rita exclaimed with a surprised look on her face and then introduced the man to everyone else, “This is Paul Myerson…my new beau.”

“Jake?” Paul’s lips turned up in a broad grin, “That is you Jake!” He then explained to everyone else as he gave Jake a hearty handshake, “Jake and I were in the Boy Scouts together before he was sent off to…” Seeing the dark look on his old childhood friend’s face, Paul quickly shifted gears, “Did you bring your clubs, Jake?”

As Jake grumbled under his breath, Daria quipped, “What’s that you said about knowing how to pick them, Dad?”

“Nice set of wheels.” Angie remarked as a red Triumph Spitfire pulled in. 

A thin auburn-haired woman got out of the car and tossed her keys to the valet saying, “I don’t mind a few dents, but change the radio station and I’ll kill you.”

“Who’s that?” Quinn asked.

“Aunt Amy?” Daria queried.

“Amy!” Rita smiled as she greeted her youngest sister. “I thought you weren’t going to show up.”

“I didn’t plan on it.” Amy replied with a sarcastic smirk, “But I figured if you two could put aside years of bitterness and hatred, then so can I…for a day at least.”

“Amy…” Helen sighed, “…why do say stuff like that?”

“You mean why do I say it out loud?” Amy snarked as she squeezed her way past Helen and Rita. “Jake…” The youngest Barkesdale sibling exclaimed, the sarcastic grin still on her face, “You’re still with Helen? That shows a lot of fortitude. Most men would have cut and run by now.”

Feeling her girlfriend tense up, Angie whispered in Elizaveta’s ear as she squeezed her hand, “Easy, baby.”

“Roger!” Amy then exclaimed, turning her attention to Rita’s escort, “How’s the skydiving going?”

“Roger passed away, Amy.” Helen corrected, “This is Paul.”

“Sorry, Paul.” Amy’s sarcastic grin returned, “How do you do?”

“Who’s Roger?” A mystified Paul inquired.

“He fell on to a cow.” Quinn replied, barely trying to keep from laughing.

“Yech!” Paul grimaced.

“I’ll bet that was a very moo-ving experience.” Angie quipped in a whisper to her lover. Seeing Elizaveta roll her eyes while at the same time keeping from laughing, Angie again joked, “Hey…someone had to say it.”

“And he was one of the lucky ones.” Daria quipped.

“Girls!” Helen called out to her daughters and Angie.

“What’s the point of a senseless tragedy if you can’t find the humor in it.” Amy quipped, addressing her comment to the elder Morgendorffer daughter while ignoring the other girls, “I like the way you think, Daria.”

“Come on, Amy…’ Rita said as she ushered her youngest sister into the building, “I’m not sure where we’re going to find you a seat.”

“I think I need a drink.” Helen sighed as she also began to go into the resort along with the rest of her family. Then, glancing in the direction of a laughing Jake, she growled, “What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing, dear.” Jake responded, quickly stifling his laughter, “It’s going to be a long weekend.” He muttered under his breath.

“Aunt Amy’s really weird.” Quinn remarked to the other girls.

“Yeah.” Daria smiled.

“Amy geci seggfej.” Elizaveta swore in a low voice.

“I was just going to call her a bitch, but I like what you said better.” Angie whispered to her girlfriend.

Seeing her mother standing in the center of the room, Helen sighed, “Now it gets really bad.” Turning to Elizaveta and Angie, the auburn-haired mother shook her head sadly, “I’m sorry you girls are going to have to put up with this. I’ll try to make it up to you later.”

“What’s wrong, anya?” Elizaveta asked with a concerned look on her face.

“That’s my mother…” Helen sighed as she closed her eyes and then opened them, gesturing with her head at an elderly woman with a cane speaking to Rita and a young woman as Amy stood well to the back. “I guess we should go and say hello before we check in—especially since she decided to park herself in front of the front desk.”

“Yeah.” Jake let out a breath, “The old bat’s not giving anyone any choice.”

“Let’s get this over with so we can check into our rooms and I can grab a drink.” Helen said as she gritted her teeth. Drawing closer to the gathering, she plastered a phony smile on her face as she called out, “Mother…Erin!”

“Aunt Helen!” A young redheaded woman standing next to a young man with dark hair and a smug expression on his face, called out with a big smile on her face, “I’m glad ya’ll could make it! This is my fiancé…” She said, her smile growing wider as she introduced the young man, “Brian…Brian Danielson.”

“About time you showed up.” The older woman scowled as Helen, Jake, and the girls approached. “But then…I shouldn’t have been surprised, Helen.” Grandma Barkesdale sneered, “You never did care about meeting your obligations. Why couldn’t you have been more like your older sister?”

“I’m sorry we missed the rehearsal dinner, but I was tied up at work…” Helen tried to explain only to have the older woman steamroller over her.

“Work? No Barkesdale woman should have to work. Your place is in the home!” The older woman ranted as she raised her cane, “You go off and become a hippy and marry a no good poor excuse for a man!” Then, as she brought her cane down to strike at her wayward daughter, everyone heard a loud voice.

“No!” Elizaveta called out as put herself between her step-mother and the older woman, blocking the cane with her forearm. “Leave my anya alone!”

“You tramp!” Grandma Barkesdale growled as she raised her cane again and brought it down to hit Elizaveta, only to have the blonde once again block the strike with her arm.

“Didn’t see that coming.” Amy smirked as she watched the developments from the sidelines.

“You’re a big help.” Angie scowled sarcastically at Amy as she rushed forward to stand next to her girlfriend, presenting a united front in between the older woman and Helen. “You heard my baby!” Angie exclaimed, “Leave her and her mother alone!”

“Wanna fill me in on what’s going on?” Amy whispered to Daria.

“Hungarian cheerleader step-sister…” Daria whispered back, pointing to Elizaveta, “…and her girlfriend—as in they’re involved with each other.” Seeing that her comment received an amused snort from her aunt, Daria added with a smirk, “Oh…by the way…Elizaveta’s last name is Bathory.”

“As in the Blood Countess?” Amy replied, raising an eyebrow.

“Yep.” Daria responded with a slight grin.

“This weekend might be fun after all.” Amy quipped as Daria’s grin grew wider.

“Who are these two strumpets?” Grandma Barkesdale demanded as she finally lowered her cane “…and what are they doing here? This is a family wedding.”

“Elizaveta is family.” Helen answered back defiantly. “She’s our step-daughter and Angie’s her girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend?” Grandma Barkesdale raged, “You mean to tell me that those two are…” her lips then twisted into a scowl, “…lovers?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Helen retorted as she placed her arms protectively around the two girls.

“I am not going to have two queers at my granddaughter’s wedding!” Emma screeched in a loud voice drawing everybody’s attention. “Get those two strumpets out of here!”

“This is getting better and better.” Amy smirked, “Taking bets on how quickly Helen folds.”

“Not this time.” Daria muttered to her aunt. “Her and Elizaveta have gotten pretty close. For some reason, those two actually like each other.”

“If they’re not welcome at this wedding.” Helen declared defiantly, “Then we’re leaving. Come on Jake…girls…we’re going home!”

“Right, Helen.” Jake nodded his head in agreement and then called out to Daria and Quinn, “Come on girls. We’re leaving.”

“Grandma!” Erin sobbed as she witnessed her wedding beginning to fall apart in front of her eyes, “Mom…Aunt Helen! Please…”

“Mom…” Rita pleaded as the Morgendorffers along with Elizaveta and Angie turned to walk away. “Please…for me…and Erin…”

“Fine.” Grandma Barkesdale huffed, “But only because you and Erin asked. Helen. You and your family and the two perverts can stay. But keep those two trollops away from my sight.”

As Helen was about to tell her mother where to shove her permission, Elizaveta gently touched her step-mother’s arm, “It’s all right, anya.” She whispered, “Me and Angie will just stay out of the way of the öreg csikó.”

“Are you sure, dear?” Helen inquired in an equally soft voice. “We can leave if you want to.”

“I’m sure.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she pointed to a still sobbing Erin, “She didn’t ask for this to happen. And if we leave…” Elizaveta gestured with her head towards Grandma Barkesdale, “She wins.”

“Okay, dear.” Helen smiled warmly at the two blondes, “Let’s get checked in and get into our rooms. I think I need a good stiff drink.”

“And I just want to soak in a tub.” Elizaveta responded with a laugh.

“I’ll second that!” Angie quipped as she walked beside her girlfriend, ignoring the glares being given the couple by many of those in the resort atrium.

“A hot bath and a drink sounds perfect right now.” Helen laughed as the Morgendorffers made their way past a still fuming Emma to the front desk.

 

“I needed this!” Elizaveta sighed as she lay in the wide bathtub, letting the warm water relax her tension away as she slipped her arm around her girlfriend lying next to her.

“Mmmm…” This is nice and cozy.” Angie purred as she nuzzled up to Elizaveta, giving her a gentle kiss, “How’re you doing, baby?”

“Better.” Elizaveta replied as she relaxed. “Anya’s told me about her mother and sisters, but seeing them in person…especially her mother…” 

Angie held her girlfriend closer as the blonde lying next to her shuddered, “I know, baby. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such meanness in one person before. It makes me glad that my…” 

Before the platinum-blonde cheerleader could finish her statement, the couple heard someone knocking on their room door and Helen’s voice calling out to them, “Is it ok if I come in, girls?”

“Come on in, anya!” Elizaveta called back, “We’re in the bath, but you’re not interrupting anything. We were just relaxing.”

“I don’t blame you.” Helen smiled as she entered the bathroom carrying a wine bottle and three glasses. “Here…” She said with a smile as she filled the glasses with wine and handed one each to the girls and then, taking one for herself, sat down on a little bathroom stool. “Just let me know when you want me to go and I’ll leave.” She said with a smile as she took a sip of wine, “I just felt that after everything that happened, you two could probably use a glass or two.” She then shook her head sadly, “I’m sorry you both got dragged into my family drama.”

“It’s all right, anya.” Elizaveta smiled as he took a sip of wine.

“Yeah, Mrs. M.” Angie chimed in, taking a sip of wine also. “It wasn’t your fault any of this happened.” She then cautiously ventured, “Was your mother always like this?”

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head once in sadness, “She’s always been concerned about status and the Barkesdale name, and she has always favored Rita and later on Erin. You saw how she was…she didn’t even say a word to Daria and Quinn and only talked to you two after you girls stopped her from trying to hit me with that damned cane of hers.”

“I should have taken that cane from her and broke it.” Elizaveta responded, taking another sip of wine.

“I know it must have been very hard for you to control your temper, dearie…” Helen smiled warmly at her step-daughter, “But I’m glad you did. And I’m also grateful to both of you for coming to my defense like that. Other than Jake…” Helen brushed back a tear, “No one’s ever done that for me.”

“I love you and apa, anya.” Elizaveta replied with a smile, “And Daria and Quinn too…” She added with a wry grin, “You took me in when I didn’t have a home and didn’t know where I was or anything. I’ll never forget that.”

“Thanks dear.” Helen responded, daubing the tears from her eyes with a tissue. “And I’ll never forget you. You’ve been a lifeline to me lots of times. I don’t know what I’d have done without having you to talk to about stuff.”

“You’re a cool lady, Mrs. M.” Angie grinned as she sipped her wine. “You’ve been so kind and supportive of us…”

“Thank you.” Helen blushed as she stood up and refilled her glass. “I just don’t want the two of you to have to go through what Jake and I did. Well…I’ve bothered you two long enough and I have a feeling you have other things you’d rather be doing now. I’ll just leave the rest of the bottle for you two. Good night, girls.”

“That was nice of her.” Angie said as she refilled both her and her lover’s glasses. Then, holding her glass up, she proposed a toast, “To both our mothers—they’re the greatest.”

“To our anyák.” Elizaveta grinned as she held up her glass and clinked it with her girlfriend’s. After finishing her wine, a lecherous grin appeared on Elizaveta’s face as she began to shower her lover with kisses, working her way down her body as she did so, “My turn to treat you, szereto.”

 

“They’re having the wedding outside?” Angie chuckled as she noticed the dark clouds gathering, “How much you want to bet it rains before they say their ‘I dos’?”

“Pizza when we get home?” Elizaveta laughed, “I’m going to say during the reception.”

“Betting when it rains or when all hell breaks loose?” Angie laughed.

“Either…or…” Elizaveta responded with even more laughter. “Looks like Daria and Quinn found the other bridesmaids. Wonder what they’re talking about?”

“From the looks of shock and horror on those southern belles’ faces, I have a feeling that Daria has just finished grossing them out with something or other.” Angie quipped as the pair made their way to a buffet table. “Hmmm…what do we have here? Scrambled eggs…bacon…”

“Bacon….” Elizaveta sighed as her mouth watered, “I’m hungry…”

“Me too.” Angie responded with a sly grin, “We worked off a lot of calories last night.”

As they ladled their breakfast on their plates, the couple overheard two guests, both young women about their ages, talking about them.

“Are those two the…you know…” One of the southern belles, a girl with dark hair, asked the other as she made a gesture with her hands.

“Yeah.” The other girl, this one thin with chestnut hair, responded with a smirk as she pointed at Angie, “I bet she got that hair from a bottle.”

Hearing the girl’s comment, Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a slight grin as Angie barely repressed a chuckle at the red faces that appeared on the two girls on their hearing her girlfriend’s retort, “Oh…the carpet matches the drapes…believe me…I know.”

Moving on down the buffet table, the couple overheard yet two other girls talking about them, “I heard from Libby who heard from Sally that when they…you know…when they do the thing…they actually…put their tongues…” She then lowered her voice to a whisper. As she whispered, both girls’ faces reddened.

“Ugh…that’s disgusting!” The other girl declared as she gave a sideways glance at the two blondes at the table.

“You don’t mind having a little fun with the little sweeties, do you, baby?” Angie proposed, whispering in her lover’s ear.

“Not at all, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered back. “Let’s do it.”

“Mmmm…last night reminded me why I call you honey tongue, baby…” Angie purred, just loud enough so that the two southern belles could hear.

“I just love how sweet you taste…” Elizaveta responded in an equally low tone, pitching it just loud enough so that the two girls could overhear. 

Laughing as the two southern belles’ faces twisted in disgust gave a simultaneous “Yuck!” before bolting away, Angie quipped aloud with a totally innocent look on her face, “I wonder what got into them? They looked awful green around the gills, didn’t they?”

“Maybe it was something they ate?” Elizaveta responded with an equally innocuous look on her face.

“Whatever…” Angie shrugged her shoulders as she picked up some fruit from the table, biting into a peach, “Just means more for us.”

“So….” Elizaveta smirked as the couple sat down at a nearby table, “What sort of trouble are we going to get into next?”

Watching as the storm clouds gathered, Angie chuckled, “I don’t think we’re going to need to look for trouble. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to find us.”

 

“Looks like Daria’s hitting it off with that groomsman over there.” Angie noted with a grin as she pointed at Elizaveta’s auburn-haired sibling who was talking to a tall young man with long, styled chestnut hued hair until she was pulled away by a screeching Emma.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “Too bad the öreg csikó is standing close by, otherwise, we’d go and talk to them.” She scowled as she pointed to Emma putting the bridesmaids through an impromptu inspection. Then, when the old woman whacked Daria with her cane because of the girl’s ill-fitting gown, the young Hungarian winced, “Ouch. That must have hurt.”

“I know.” Angie sighed, “I noticed those marks left on your forearm last night from where you blocked her.”

“You kissed them and made them better, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled warmly at her lover. “I wasn’t about to let her hit my anya. Speaking of whom…” She smiled as she saw her step-parents standing by themselves, she suggested, “Why don’t we go over?”

“Okay.” Angie nodded, “Looks like they could use the company.”

“Hi anya…apa!” Elizaveta called as she and Angie walking hand in hand as they ignored the pointed glares sent their way approached. 

“How are my girls doing!” Jake responded in a loud voice, then lowering his voice so that only he, his wife, and the two blondes could hear him, inquired with a look of concern on his face, “How are you two really holding up?”

“Okay.” Elizaveta replied in an equally soft voice.

“Yeah.” Angie smiled, “We just ignore the idiots…not much more we can do.”

“My mother didn’t help things.” Helen sighed, “She’s made sure everyone knows about the two of you. I think she was hoping you two would make a scene. Thank you for keeping your cool. I know it can’t be easy—especially for you Elizaveta with your temper.”

“Angie’s had to restrain me a couple of times.” Elizaveta confessed, “But like you said, that’s what the öreg csikó wants. Then she can put all the blame on you for ruining the wedding. I’m not going to give her the satisfaction.”

“Good for you both.” Jake replied with a big smile on his face.

Noticing the guests beginning to take their seats, Helen suggested, “Well…we better get to our seats too. Looks like they’re finally getting this farce on the road.”

 

“Am I imagining things or is that minister checking Quinn out?” Angie whispered to Elizaveta as they watched the bride and groom exchange vows.

“He is.” Elizaveta answered back and then barely repressed a chuckle, “Looks like Daria found something funny.”

“Yeah.” Angie whispered back, “I saw Amy making faces.” She then barely held back a snort as she felt a drop of rain on her nose. “They better hurry or everything’s going to get soggy soon.”

As the final “I dos” were said, a bolt of lighting struck a tree standing several feet from where the bride and groom stood, followed by a loud clap of thunder. Crinkling her nose at the distinctive scent of ozone in the air, Elizaveta declared, “Someone’s telling us something.”

“Yeah…” Angie quipped, “Get the hell outta here!”

The couple made it into the safety of the resort just as the downpour began, with Helen and Jake just behind them. Watching as the others dashed out of the rain, Angie broke out laughing when she saw Emma being carried by two men who used their arms as chairs for the old woman, screaming and waving her cane about, striking anyone who came too close. “I know I shouldn’t be laughing…” the cheerleader guffawed as her lover joined her in laughter, “…but it’s too damned funny not to.”

Trying to restrain herself from joining the two blondes in laughter, Helen mock chided, “Girls…” Then, watching as her mother, who, when finally let down, began to beat on the hapless men who carried her with her cane, Helen gave into the absurd and began laughing as well, soon to be joined by Jake. Ignoring the dirty looks being given to them by the other guests, the foursome made their way to the reception hall and took their seats. “Jake and I’ll get us some drinks while you girls keep our seats safe.” 

Returning to their seats with a bottle of wine and four glasses, Helen poured the wine in three of the glasses as Jake, nursing his scotch and soda, followed close behind, accompanied by his old childhood friend with whom he was engaged in conversation. 

“Here you go, girls.” Helen smiled as she poured the wine into their glasses.

“Thanks, anya.” Elizaveta grinned as she and Angie sipped their wine while her step-father and his friend talked.

“And they said to me, we’ll just make you VP and give you control over the entire damned operation…” Paul bragged, “…and now…here I am…29 years old and…”

“Yeah…” Jake nodded his head, restraining himself from rolling his eyes, “…you mentioned that. So…how did you meet Rita?”

“Well…’ Paul grinned, “We both love the sea and I’ve got a sailboat…”

“And she’s s little dingy.” Jake quipped, earning a stifled laugh from Helen, Angie, and Elizaveta, before quickly adding, “I’m just kidding, of course.”

“You’re right, Jake.” Paul answered back as he sipped his scotch, “Rita is a little flighty, but she’s a tiger in bed.”

As Jake glanced at the table, he noticed Helen and the girls all gulping down their wine and then Helen pouring more wine into the glasses. “Uhhh…yeah…Paul…Ummm…let’s get back to the bar…you can tell me about the golfing here.”

“Sure thing, Jake!” Paul chuckled as the two men departed, leaving the girls at the table.

Sighing in relief as a waiter brought them food, Helen exclaimed with a wry grin, “I hope Mom didn’t have the cook poison the food.”

“She wouldn’t do that.” Angie jibed, “Just think of how it would look in the society pages if the guests all ended up in the emergency room sick from salmonella poisoning.”

Laughing, Helen took a sip of her wine, “Oh…the look on her face…it’d almost be worth putting up with the pain just to see that.”

“What’s so funny?” Erin asked as she approached the table with her new husband.

“Just a little joke.” Helen responded as she and the girls regained control. Getting up, she gave the bride a brief hug and then held her glass up in a toast, “To a long and happy marriage.”

As everyone at the table joined in the toast, the young couple smiled in gratitude, “Thanks, Aunt Helen.” She then grabbed her husband’s hand, “You haven’t really had the chance to talk to Brian…have you?”

“No…we haven’t.” Helen responded with an insincere grin as she appraised the man standing before her. “So…. Brian…what do you do for a living?”

“He works for the government.” Erin interjected and then lowered her voice to a whisper, “Intelligence.”

“Erin!” Brian exclaimed.

“I know I’m not supposed to say anything, but isn’t it exciting…”

“If our national security is compromised, you can bet there’s a woman behind it.” Brian grumbled, earning a frown from Helen and the girls.

“Kibaszott idióta.” Elizaveta muttered under her breath, earning a stifled snort from her lover.

“Excuse me?” Brian interjected, “I didn’t understand.”

“Just clearing my throat.” Elizaveta smiled back innocently as she sipped her wine, “Zuhanyzsák.”

“Well…” Erin smiled as she grabbed her mate by the arm, “We’re going to say hello to Daria and Quinn.”

“Angie and I have to go powder our noses, anya.” Elizaveta said as the newlyweds walked away, “Are you going to be okay here?”

“I’ll be fine, sweetie.” Helen replied with a smile. “You two go on.”

“So…” Angie smirked, ‘What do you think of the happy couple?”

“She’s all right…I guess…” Elizaveta shrugged her shoulders, “But he’s a seggfej.”

“Yeah.” Angie agreed as the pair noticed Daria also making her way to the restroom. Approaching the bridesmaid, Angie quipped, “So…what did you think of James Bond Jr.”

“I don’t think Blofeld has anything to worry about.” Daria responded with a snort as they passed by Quinn talking to the minister.

“A wild ocean of love…” the minister said, “…on which we, as individuals, have no control. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Is he doing what I think he’s doing?” Angie shook her head.

“If you mean chatting up Quinn…” Daria replied, “…then the answer is yes.” The auburn-haired teen then approached the minister and her sister. “Hi Quinn…Hi Father…”

“I’m a minister, not a priest.” The reverend replied.

“The important thing is…” Daria pointedly declared, “…that you’re the voice of morality in the community.”

“You go on the restroom without us, Daria…” Elizaveta whispered, “We’ll keep an eye on Quinn and the ‘good’ reverend.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “We’ll make sure she stays out of trouble and he stays out of her pants.”

“Thanks.” Daria responded, “Not that I care what happens to Quinn…but…”

“We know.” Elizaveta answered back, not buying for a moment her sister’s nonchalance. “We won’t let anything happen.” Turning to her girlfriend, she pointed to a secluded alcove. “Over there, szereto, we can keep an eye on things without them noticing.”

“Good idea.” Angie replied as the pair took up their surveillance.

A few minutes later, nodding her head as Quinn’s escort showed up, Elizaveta whispered to her girlfriend as the young man began to make threatening noises to the minister, “I think we can go now. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to watch those two hülyék fight.”

“Agreed.” Angie nodded her head, “It’s probably not a bad idea to check on your mother anyway.”

Elizaveta replied as she placed a gentle hand on her lover’s arm, “I’m worried about her. This thing has really gotten her upset.” Then watching as Daria and Amy walked out of the bathroom, she remarked, “Well…looks like those two have bonded.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head as they made their way back to the reception, “I guess they have a lot in common.”

Approaching the table, they heard Helen and Rita talking, with Jake at Helen’s side, none of them noticing the presence of the girls who, remaining inconspicuous, quietly listened. “It was a lovely ceremony, wasn’t it, Helen?” Rita inquired.

“It was lovely.” Helen responded with a smile.

“I’m sorry about Mom…” Rita offered as an apology, “But why did you bring those two girls here? You should have known how she would have reacted.”

“One of those girls is my step-daughter.” Helen declared, “And the other is someone very dear to her. They’re as much a part of my family as Daria and Quinn.” She then turned to her husband, “Jake…I need another glass of wine.”

“Honey…” Jake cautioned only to be interrupted by his increasingly irritable wife.

“Now, Jake.” Helen took a deep breath as she glared at her sister, “I’m trying not to make Mom’s mistakes.”

“Helen…you’re not still bitter about this…are you?” Rita asked as Jake hurried off to fulfill his wife’s request.

“Why would I be bitter, Rita?” Helen snapped back, “You and Erin deserve the best—you always have.”

“Oh…so I should be punished forever because I made a few bad decisions!” Rita exclaimed.

“What are you two arguing about now?” Amy inquired with an amused smirk.

“Is she here to help or egg them on?” Angie whispered to Elizaveta as the pair observed the oncoming storm.

“We’re not arguing, Amy.” Helen sighed as she regarded her younger sister.

“Oh…” Amy jibed, “It sounded to me like you’re still mad because Dad gave Rita that MG while he gave you a Plymouth Valiant.”

“It was a Dodge Dart.” Helen grumbled.

“Looks like she’s egging them on.” Elizaveta responded in a whisper to the question her lover had raised, and then, glaring at the thin auburn-haired woman, cursed in a low voice, “Seggfej.”

“Your Mom’s hitting the wine pretty heavy.” Angie noted, “You think we should step in.”

Elizaveta shook her head, “Anya’s got a lot of anger pent up inside her. She needs to let it out. We’ll intervene if it gets out of hand, but for now…she needs to vent.”

“Your call, baby.” Angie reluctantly agreed, “I just hope things don’t spiral too far out of control.”

“I’ll get you some coffee and cake.” Jake offered, hoping to calm his increasingly irate wife down.

“No, Jake.” Helen exclaimed, “The party’s just getting started!”

“Helen…” Jake whispered as Paul approached, “I think maybe…”

“Oh we don’t want to make a scene…do we?” Helen nearly shouted, “We don’t want to spoil this lovely wedding that our lovely Mother spent so much lovely money on!”

“Is everything all right here?” Paul asked as he pointedly looked at Helen.

“Well you’re right about one thing, Jake.” Helen sneered, “Rita sure knows how to pick ‘em!”

“Hey!”

“Ouch.” Angie cringed, “That left a mark.”

“Helen…” Rita pleaded.

“That pathetic excuse of a boyfriend of yours is making a scene!” Erin exclaimed, glaring at Paul as she spoke.

“What do you mean…Pathetic?” Paul interjected.

“I think you know what she means.” Jake responded, coming to Erin’s support.

Standing up and swaying, Helen snapped, “You might be the pretty one, Rita. You might be the one Mom loves. But I worked my damned ass off!”

“Aunt Helen!” Erin pleaded as Angie looked at her girlfriend with concern.

“Baby…”

“You’re right, szereto.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “We need to step in now. I’ve got anya. You get Rita. Hopefully…she’ll…” she then glared at Amy who was quietly watching along with Daria with an amused look on her face, “…decide to help instead of just spectating.”

“What’s going on?” Brian inquired with a smug look on his face, “No cat fights ladies.”

“Shut the hell up you jackass!” Rita snarled back.

As the girls moved to intervene, they heard Amy quip to Daria, “I suggest we make a quick, but unobtrusive exit. Cheese fries? I’ll buy and watch while you eat.”

“You’re on.” Daria responded and then turned to her escort, “Want to join us, Luhrmann?”

“No.” The young man responded, “I’ll just stay and watch the carnage unfold.”

“Seggfej.” Elizaveta growled as Amy and Daria slipped past them, pitching her curse just loud enough for Amy to hear.

“Let them go, baby.” Angie said, “If they stayed, they’d just make the situation worse than it already is.”

“You’re right, szereto.” Elizaveta took a deep breath. “Well…let’s see if we can stop this before it gets completely out of hand.” Moving forward, the two blondes put themselves between the feuding siblings. “Anya…” Elizaveta pleaded in a soft voice as she tried to reach her angry step-mother, “Please…”

Angie then approached the other sister and gestured to Erin, “Rita? I think Erin needs to talk to you about something important—right, Erin?”

“That’s right.” Erin, taking the hint, quickly answered back as she took her mother’s arm, giving Angie a look of thanks, “I need to talk to you about…what to do…you know during our honeymoon…”

“Oh, my baby!” Rita sobbed, “Your momma’s always here for you. Come on…we’ll talk.”

“Situation defused.” Angie sighed as she turned to her girlfriend who was at that moment hugging her step-mother.

“It’s ok, anya.” Elizaveta gently cooed, “You said what you needed to say. You got it out of your system. I’ll get us some coffee while Angie stays with you—okay?”

“Thanks, dearie.” Helen smiled, slurring her words as Elizaveta helped her down to her chair. “I could use a cup of coffee now.”

“I’ve got her, baby.” Angie whispered to her lover, “You go on and get the coffee.”

“I’m sorry, Angie…” Helen sobbed as the platinum-blonde cheerleader quietly sat and listened, “I didn’t mean to put you and Elizaveta through all this. My mother…this wedding and all the snide comments and glares you two have had to put up with.” She heaved a sigh, “I’m sorry I dragged everyone to this mess.”

“It’s okay, Mrs. M.” Angie smiled as Elizaveta returned with a carafe of coffee and three cups. “It’s nothing we couldn’t deal with…right, baby?” She said as she looked up at her girlfriend who was pouring coffee for everyone.

“That’s right, szereto.” Elizaveta concurred as she handed her step-mother and girlfriend the hot cups filled with coffee. “We just feel sorry for you and apa…you both have been under a lot of stress ever since we came here.”

“I shouldn’t have lost it like that.” Helen sighed as she sipped her coffee. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, Mrs. M.” Angie responded. “No one got hit and nobody said anything that couldn’t be taken back.”

“That’s only because the two of you stepped in before it got out of hand.” Helen, beginning to sober up, replied as her sister approached. She then looked about, “Where’s mother?”

“She left after the wedding.” Rita interjected, joining the conversation. “I think all the excitement got to her.”

“That or…” Seeing her step-daughter’s gentle shake of her head, Helen held back her sarcastic retort, saying instead, “Yeah…you’re probably right, Rita.”

“Here…” Rita smiled as she held out a bottle of wine, “A peace offering…to be drunk later.” 

“I think it’s safe to go now, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered as she pointed to the elevator. “Why don’t we go back to our room. I think we’ve earned a little time to ourselves.”

“Let’s go, baby.” Angie smiled back. As the two blondes made their way to the elevator, they saw Quinn consoling her battered and bruised escort. Shaking her head, she remarked, “Well…that situation resolved itself. I wonder where the pervert is?”

“Over there, szereto.” Elizaveta pointed to where the minister, also showing scars from the recent fight, was at that time chatting up a bridesmaid. “Looks like he didn’t waste any time.”

“Well…at least this one looks legal.” Angie quipped as the pair entered an empty elevator. Pushing the button for their floor, she flashed a leer, “Bath for two?”

Taking Angie’s hand in hers, Elizaveta answered back in a sultry voice, “A nice long bath.”


	2. Summer Bonding

“Okay, Kevin…” Lowering her head and closing her eyes for a moment as she pinched her nose, Angie tried once again to get through to the quarterback. “Let’s try it this way…” Angie suggested as she decided to try a different tact, “You’re George Washington…it’s fourth down and goal and you’re on the British two yard line. The British have been shutting down your running attack the entire game. There’s only five seconds left in the game…time for one more play…and you’re behind by five points. You lose this game…you lose the season. What do you do?”

“Heh…Angie…” The quarterback chuckled, “There’s only one thing I can do. The British are ready for the run, so I fake a handoff to Robert, do a bootleg, and throw the short pass to Mack for the TD.”

“That’s exactly what Washington did at the Battle of Trenton!” Angie explained. “His back was up against the wall. His team was getting ready to quit and the team owners in the Continental Congress were getting ready to fire him and replace him with another coach. He had to win, so he put everything on one last play.”

“In other words…” Kevin exclaimed as comprehension dawned on him, “He threw a Hail Mary.”

“That’s it, Kevin!” Angie grinned, “You’ve got it!”

“Wow!” Brittany exclaimed, “I didn’t know New Jersey allowed women to vote back during the Revolution.”

“Not just white women.” Elizaveta explained, “But also free African-Americans—men and women. But they changed the law in 1807 where women and African-Americans couldn’t vote anymore and made it where only taxpaying white males could vote.”

“Why?” Brittany asked as she twirled a lock of golden hair. “That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Politics.” Elizaveta answered back. “The Democratic-Republican Party then in power wanted to keep the Federalist party down and most women and African-Americans voted for the Federalists…so by taking the vote away from them…”

“They made sure that the Dummycrappic Repubicons would win.” Brittany frowned, “That’s cheating.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she saw that Brittany had picked up on the subject, “It was.”

“So how’s the tutoring going?” Helen asked as she entered Elizaveta’s room where the teenagers were studying bearing a tray with lemonade and snacks.”

“We’re making progress, anya.” Elizaveta replied with a slight smile.

“Slow, but sure.” Angie agreed as Helen set the tray down on Elizaveta’s desk.

“I just thought you guys could use a little break.” 

“Thanks, anya.” Elizaveta smiled back, “The lemonade looks good.”

“Yeah.” Kevin grinned as he took a glass and a cookie, “Thanks, Mrs. Morgendorffer.”

“Don’t mention it.” Helen grinned and then let out a breath, “I better get back down and check on those contractors working on our backyard. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Mrs. M.” Angie responded as she turned to her girlfriend and inquired, “Where are Daria and Quinn?”

“Quinn’s off babysitting the Gupty kids.” Elizaveta responded, “And as for Daria…” The young blonde’s lips turned up in a sardonic grin, “She didn’t take anya’s threat seriously…that if she didn’t find something to do this summer, anya would do it for her. Well…”

“Helen found something…” Angie quipped with a smirk on her face.

“Yep.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Six weeks of music camp.”

“Pop goes the weasel.” Angie chuckled.

“I didn’t know Daria liked music.” Brittany exclaimed as she took a glass of lemonade. “She doesn’t look like the type that likes to…”

“Have fun?” Elizaveta finished with a mild chuckle.

“Yeah.” Kevin nodded his head, “She never smiles.”

“And when she does smile, it’s because someone messed up or something.” Brittany declared with a frown.

“Daria’s not a bad person.” Elizaveta declared, coming to the defense of her step-sister, “It’s just she’s had some bad experiences before coming here and they caused her to be very careful about who she lets get close to her.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, agreeing with her girlfriend, “Because I'm going out with Elizaveta, I've been spending a lot of time here and I’ve gotten to know her and Quinn better than I probably would have otherwise. She’s got some issues…hell…both of them do…most of them having to do with each other..” The platinum-blonde admitted as Elizaveta nodded in agreement, “But deep down, she’s okay. It’s just that sometimes she goes off the rails like she did with the yearbook.” 

“And she can be pretty thoughtless and maybe a little cruel at times.” Elizaveta admitted, “Like with what happened with Jennifer…but…well…we all get that way once in a while.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “None of us are perfect.”

“Except my Kevvy!” Brittany exclaimed as she gave her boyfriend a kiss.

“And on that note…” Angie sighed, “It’s time for us to turn to math.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head, picking up on her cue, “Okay…Britt…Kevin…we’re going to take this next stuff nice and easy so if you get confused or don’t understand something, just let me know and I’ll go over it again with you. Here’s what you do to solve for x in this equation…”

A couple of hours later, as Brittany and Kevin waved their goodbyes, Angie sighed in relief, “Think we did any good, baby?”

“I think so.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “We’re not going to make A or B students out of them, but if they keep it up, I think Brittany can pull up to a solid C…maybe even a C+ if she tries.”

“What about Kevin?” Angie inquired as Helen joined the two girls at the door.

Letting out a breath, Elizaveta replied, “If he works at it and gets serious, we might be able to help him work up to D+ or C-…enough for him to pass. But he’s like Brittany…too easily distracted.”

“Maybe the problem’s not with either of their intelligence.” Helen interjected thoughtfully, “One or both of them could be suffering from a learning disorder. Has the school checked for that?”

“Ms. Li and Ms. Manson…” Angie let out a snort of derision, “Ms. Li could care less as long as Kevin is winning games and scoring touchdowns. And Ms. Manson…I’m surprised her license hasn’t been yanked yet. She does whatever Li wants her to do. And as far as Britt’s concerned…” She shook her head in sadness and frustration as she considered the plight of her best friend, “Mr. Taylor doesn’t care how well she does in school. He gives her whatever she wants. All she has to do is not make any waves or cause any real scandals. Other than that, he’s got no problem throwing money at it and making it go away.”

“Then that’s something that has to be changed.” Helen noted, “We probably can’t do anything about Mr. Taylor spending money to bail Brittany out, but I think there might be something we can do for both of them anyway.” Seeing that she had the two girls’ attention, she outlined her plan, “You two just keep on doing what you’re doing and keep trying to get them motivated to do better and I think I’ll bring up at the fact that students with learning disorders aren’t getting the attention they need at the school open house before classes start in fall.”

“We can do that.” Elizaveta smiled as she gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze.

“Well…I gotta get home too.” Angie remarked as she kissed Elizaveta goodbye. “See you tomorrow, baby. Catch you later, Mrs. M.”

 

“I thought there was a law against cruel and inhuman punishment.” Daria grumbled as she lay face up on Jane’s bed, counting ceiling tiles.

“Hey…” Jane responded with a smirk as she concentrated on her current project, a sculpture made out of junk kitchen appliances, “It could have been worse. Helen could have signed you up as a counselor at the Ok to Cry Corral.”

“That would have been grounds for justifiable homicide.” Daria responded in a flat voice.

“Why don’t you try to find something else?” Jane suggested, “You’ve only been there for a day. Your folks should still be able to get a refund on the fee. There’s a writer’s workshop beginning at the community center in a couple of days. You could go to them and see if they’ll go for that.”

“Might as well.” Daria sighed, “Since bribery doesn’t work as well as it used to anymore.” 

“Oh?” Jane’s eyebrows rose, “What happened? A moral epiphany?”

“No.” Daria shrugge4d her shoulders, “I don’t know. Mom’s just been acting weirder recently.” 

“How so?” Jane asked, her curiosity aroused.

The auburn-haired teen sighed, “Mom just said that things were going to start changing around the house. She’s beginning to act like a real mother now and I’m not sure I know how to deal with it or even if I like it. We had a system…” Daria tried to explain, “…it was dysfunctional, but it worked. Now…” She shook her head, “I’m not sure what to think.”

“You know…” Jane replied, gently reproving her friend, “Having a mother who’s available when you need her and actually gives a damn about how you’re doing might not be such a bad thing.” _Some of us would like that_. Jane said to herself as she returned to her project.

“Yeah….” Daria sighed as she got off the bed, “I’m going back home. The morons and Angie should be gone now so it should be safe to return. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, amiga.” Jane responded, shaking her head as her friend walked out.

 

As the family sat over the dinner table, Daria made her pitch. “So…the writers’ workshop meets at the same time as music camp, and I checked and you can get a full refund on what you paid for music camp.”

“What would you be doing in this workshop, dear?” Helen asked as she took a bite from her lasagna.

“I’d be writing different types of poetry and prose and I’d be working with a tutor and group to polish it up with the goal of producing something that could be published. There would also be guest speakers—published writers, giving talks and offering advice.” Daria responded as she targeted her pitch at what she knew would most intrigue her mother.

Nodding her head, Helen then inquired, “Will you submit your project to someone after the workshop ends?”

Taking a deep breath, Daria, knowing that her answer here would determine whether she went to the workshop or spend six weeks playing Pop Goes the Weasel, gave her answer, “I promise that if you let me enroll in the workshop, I’ll submit my work to a publisher.”

Nodding her head, Helen made her decision. “All right. I’ll cancel your enrollment in the music camp and enroll you in the writers’ workshop. However…” she cautioned, ‘…I’m going to expect you to put your time and effort into this. You’ll attend every session and will produce a finished product. I’m not going to let you lie in your room all day doing nothing. Do we understand each other?”

“Agreed.” Daria replied with a slight grin. “May I be excused?” After receiving her mother’s approval, the auburn-haired teen walked up to the stairs to her room. Closing the door, she dialed her friend on the phone. “Jane?”

“Yeah, Daria?”

“She went for it. I’m enrolling in the writers’ workshop.” Daria announced in a flat tone.

“Well, it beats music camp.” Jane responded consolingly.

“Not by much.’ Daria answered back. “I’m going to have to produce results.”

 

“You’re doing a great job on the costumes, Stacy.” Ms. Graham, the theater teacher for Lawndale High and also sponsor of the drama club, exclaimed as she examined the work of her new costume designer. “You’ve got a real talent for this.”

“Thank you Ms. Graham.” Stacy responded with a broad grin, “Thank you for giving me the chance.”

“You’ve earned it.” The theater teacher smiled back, “I’m hoping I’ll see you in a theater course this fall and that you’ll continue in the club.”

“I intend to.” Stacy impulsively replied, not caring—for now—how Quinn or Sandi would react. The young brunette then inquired, “How’s Tiffany doing?”

“She’s doing great.” Ms. Graham answered back as she called the Eurasian teen over, “Tiffany? I just wanted to let you know you’re doing a great job keeping things organized. I assume you’ll be enrolling in theater 1 next semester?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Tiffany replied with a smile. “But I’m not sure how I’d do on the stage acting.”

“I wasn’t thinking about acting…” Ms. Graham mused, “…but I have been noticing how good a job you’ve been doing in making sure everything goes according to plan. Have you thought about going into production or direction?”

“No, Ms. Graham.” Tiffany responded honestly.

“Well…let’s begin getting you used to doing that and we’ll see how it goes—okay?”

“Okay!” Tiffany answered back with a broad smile.

“Great!” The drama teacher nodded her head. “You girls go ahead and grab some lunch and we’ll wrap things up for the day.”

As their teacher walked away, Stacy turned to her friend and then asked in a low voice, “What are we going to do about the Fashion Club? I don’t want to quit doing this—I’m having too much fun and I’m really learning something, but I still want to be friends with Sandi and Quinn.”

“Me too.” Tiffany agreed and then a look of determination appeared on her face, “Maybe it’s time we did what we want to do for a change—what do you think?”

“Maybe you’re right.” Stacy nodded her head in agreement. “I haven’t had a single panic attack all summer and for the first time in years I’m really having fun.”

“It helps that Sandi’s in Europe with her mother on vacation and Quinn’s busy babysitting.” Tiffany sighed, “You know…it’s not going to be easy when fall comes—they’re not going to like this.”

“I know.” Stacy sighed and then a grin slowly appeared on her face, “But maybe we can make it work. We’ll just tell them that our parents are making us do this/”

“Maybe.” Tiffany nodded her head, “We can tell them that they want us in another club while still gong to the Fashion Club meetings and staying friends with them.”

“Yeah.” Stacy grinned, “Sandi and Quinn won’t want to join drama club because it’s too much work, but our joining shouldn’t get them too mad at us because it’s a moderately popular club—not like chess club, math club, or the debating team. Let’s do it.”

 

As she entered the makeshift classroom where the writing workshop met, Daria at once noticed that, besides teenagers her age, there were also a smattering of college age attendees and even a few adults. Taking the last seat left, one with a teenage boy with dark hair and the barest wisp of hair on his chin, and a middle-aged woman on the other, Daria greeted her teeth as the leader of the workshop, a middle-aged man wearing a tweed jacket took his place at the front of the classroom.

Sniffing disdainfully at his students, the workshop leader sneered, “My name is Percival Lancaster and I’m a professional writer. And you…well…” He let out a snort, “We’ll see whether you’re capable of writing something worth reading or whether you’re better suited sticking to crayons. Now…let’s get started. I want you to write about the first thing that comes into your head—no matter how stupid it will undoubtedly be. You have ten minutes—go.”

After everyone had turned in their papers, the Percival read each one out to the class, sparing no one with his biting criticism as he tore each work apart, causing at least three of the attendees to depart in tears. He then began to read Daria’s paper, his lips curled in a sneer. “This is the work of someone who is merely a spectator in life, but too afraid to be a participant. This person’s use of sarcasm falls flat because it has no soul—no heart. The writing is pedantic—boring. It’s as if the ‘writer’..” Daria could almost see the scare quotes around writer as he spoke, “…didn’t even care about what they wrote.” He then tossed Daria’s work down on his desk. “And no—you can’t ‘jazz up ‘your writing with insincere adjectives and adverbs. You have to write with empathy and you have to care about what you’re writing.” 

Looking about the class at those still remaining, Percival smirked, “Well…I see we’ve had our first culling. Tomorrow we’ll have another one. By the time this workshop is finished, there will be just one or two of you at most—not a threat…” He flatly stated, “Simply a declaration of fact. I demand a lot and, frankly speaking, I don’t think most of you are ready or able to meet my standards. As for those who do stay the course—we’ll see.” Glancing at the clock on the wall, he then announced the group’s next project, “I want you to write about a situation in which your character is faced with a difficult choice. Let’s see whether you can write with heart or not. I’ll see some of you tomorrow.”

 

“So, we went from a workshop of fifteen to one of eight in five minutes.” Daria told Jane over phone as she related her first day at the writing workshop.

“Damn.” Jane exclaimed as she cradled the receiver on her shoulder while working on her canvas. “Sounds like the leader of the workshop’s a real hardass.”

“Yeah.” Daria agreed and then reluctantly admitted, “But he knows his stuff. He ripped my first submission to shreds—no one’s ever done that to me before.”

“What did he say?” Jane asked, her curiosity aroused.

“He said it didn’t have any soul or heart—that it was boring.”

“He really let you have it—didn’t he?” Jane remarked as she gave her own work an appraisal.

“Yeah…well….” Daria grumbled, “After I read it over after the workshop, I had to agree with him. It was boring. The only reason I’m in this damned workshop is because it’s either this or music camp. I didn’t give a shit what I wrote when I wrote it and he picked right up on it.”

“So, what are you going to do now?” 

“He wants a story based on making a tough choice…I’m going to give him one.” Daria responded as a slight grin crossed her face. “I’ll talk to you later, Jane.”

“Later, amiga.” Jane replied as a slight grin appeared on her face as well.

“What’s so funny, Jane?” Trent asked as he looked into his sister’s room.

“Oh…just enjoying a bit of irony.” Jane airily responded as she returned to her painting.

 

“How did your day go, Quinn?” Jake asked as his youngest daughter walked into the house. 

“Pretty good.” The young red-head responded in a chipper voice. “The Gupty kids were all right…although I had to change the record they were listening to…they kept on wanting to sing that horrible song Daria taught them.”

“Yeah…” Daria quipped, “Can’t have kids thinking for themselves.”

“That’s right.” Quinn agreed as her older sister rolled her eyes.

Quickly changing the subject, Jake asked his adopted daughter, “How was your day, Elizaveta?”

“Good.” The young blonde answered back. “We had a sale on graphic novels that kept us pretty busy.”

“More customers means more money.” Jake grinned as he turned to his oldest daughter, “What did you do today, kiddo?”

“Other than getting my short story shredded…” Daria responded, “…not much.”

“Shredded?” Jake exclaimed, “Your teacher didn’t like it?”

“He thought it was boring.” Daria replied.

“Well…duh!” Quinn snorted, “Look who wrote it.”

“At least I know how to form complex sentences.” Daria bit back, “And I can write about stuff other than greasy fries.”

“At least people liked my poem.” The red-head responded as Elizaveta rolled her eyes.

“Yeah…and their collective IQ equaled that of an artichoke.”

Ignoring her sisters’ bickering, Elizaveta made her way to the kitchen along with Jake and poured two glasses of iced tea. Handing one glass to her step-father, Elizaveta took the other as both sat down at the kitchen table.

“Thanks, kiddo.” Jake smiled as the pair ignored the increasingly rancorous bickering coming from the next room.

“Anytime, apa.” Elizaveta replied with a grin. “So…how was your day?”

“Not bad.” Jake responded with a broad smile, “I got Happy Herb to sign on, so that’ll bring in a bit more money.”

“That’s good.” Elizaveta nodded her head as the fighting in the next room continued. “Have you checked out the back yard yet?”

“Not yet.” Jake replied as they both heard Daria’s audible groan. “Wanna go and have a look?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta exclaimed and then both she and her step-father winced as they heard a loud yelp coming from Quinn. “Looks like their fight’s over.” Elizaveta remarked drolly as the pair exited the house through the kitchen door. Seeing Helen in the backyard, she called out, “Anya!”

“Hi sweetie! Hi Jakey!” An obviously very pleased Helen, standing next to the brand new outdoor bar, called back as she motioned her step-daughter and husband over to her. “The contractors are almost finished.” She said gleefully as she waved her arm in a sweeping motion, ‘The only big thing left is for them to finish with the hot tub.”

“All right!” Jake exclaimed as he gave his wife a suggestive leer, “Can’t wait to break it in.”

“Oh, Jake!” Helen sighed as Elizaveta quietly looked away. “What do you think, honey?” Helen asked as she addressed her step-daughter, “You like it?”

“Love it.” Elizaveta replied, “Me and Angie are planning on just lying back and soaking in the hot tub with ice cold lemonades when its ready.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Helen grinned and then asked, “Where are Daria and Quinn.”

“Last we saw, they were having a conversation…” Elizaveta responded with a crooked grin.

“In other words, they were fighting.” Helen sighed as she shook her head, “Did they settle it or am I going to have to pull them apart?”

“I think it’s settled.” Elizaveta answered back, “Daria made her point.”

“I see.” The auburn-haired mother let out a breath of air as her cell phone rang. Picking up the phone, she answered, “Yes, Eric? Are you sure it can’t wait? The plaintiff just filed a motion to dismiss? Oh all right, I’ll be there.” Gritting her teeth, she apologized to Jake and Elizaveta, “I’m sorry, but I have to go to the office. The other team just filed an emergency motion and we have to act fast. Dinner’s in the oven…” She instructed as she kissed both her husband and step-daughter on the cheek, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Watching as his wife dashed back into the house, Jake shook his head as he spoke in a quiet voice to his step-daughter, “I wish she’d tell that boss of hers where to shove it.”

Considering her step-father’s words, Elizaveta responded in an equally soft voice, “I think the worst thing for her is to be stuck here all day. That would kill her faster than the job she has now.”

 

“Hey Stacy!” Quinn said as she spoke to her friend on the phone from the safety of her room, the sound of the latest ‘Boys are Guys’ album playing in the background, “I haven’t heard much from you or Tiffany since school ended. What are you two up to?”

“The summer drama club’s keeping us both busy.” Stacy replied as she lay on her bed with her favorite stuffed animals.

“Yeah.” Quinn groaned, “Babysitting’s keeping me busier than I thought it would. I can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to Sandi coming back so we can get the Fashion Club going again. I guess you and Tiff will be quitting drama club then?” She said leadingly.

“Ummm…” Stacy stammered as sweat began to appear on her brow, “…maybe not.”

“Oh?”

“Uhhh….” Stacy stuttered as she spun out her lie, “…. you see…our parents are wanting us to continue doing it in the fall.”

“How are you going to be able to fit in drama club and Fashion Club?” Quinn asked, “I mean…I don’t mind…but you know Sandi’s going to get upset. And aren’t you worried about losing popularity?

“We can fit it in.” Stacy responded as she felt her anxiety beginning to return, “And drama club’s got some popular people in it so we’re not going to lose any popularity for being in it.”

” Hmmm…” Quinn vocalized as she considered her friend’s words, “…maybe. And you’re right. There are some pretty popular people in drama club. Sandi might get a little upset at first because it wasn’t her idea, but I think in the end she’ll go with it…just let me do the talking when the time comes—okay?”

“Okay.” Stacy replied feeling a little bit better at having Quinn’s support. Then, barely repressing a yawn, she declared, “I’ve got to go now, it’s getting close to my bedtime.”

“Mine too.” Quinn answered back, “I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

 

“That’s much better.” Elizaveta nodded her head in approval as she went over the equations she had assigned Brittany and Kevin as part of their tutorial homework. “Just remember to do everything one step at a time and don’t rush through it—just like learning a new play or a new cheer—right?”

“Hey…that’s right!” Kevin exclaimed, “You know, when you put it that way, it’s beginning to get a little easier. But I still get confused at all the letters and little numbers over the big numbers.

“Think of them like they’re play diagrams.” Angie suggested, “Each letter or number stands for a position and the signs and exponents are like the coach’s signals.”

“Okay.” The quarterback nodded his head as comprehension slowly dawned, “It’s starting to make a little more sense now.”

“Good.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “You just have to keep repeating it just like you keep doing a play over and over again in scrimmage until you get it cold, then you bring it out on gameday.”

“Just like when we do a new cheer!” Brittany exclaimed with a broad grin on her face.

“That’s right, Britt.” Angie smiled back. “I think you two have got it. You should be able to pass DeMartino, O’Neill, and Bennett’s makeup exams now.”

“Cool!” Kevin grinned as he and Brittany got up from the floor. “Thanks, girls! You’re the greatest.”

“Thanks, Elizaveta…Angie…” Brittany smiled warmly as she hugged first the Hungarian cheerleader and then her best friend, “I really want to pull my grade up to a C- next year.”

“You can do it, Britt.” Angie smiled back as she returned her friend’s hug. “Now, you two get going. I wanna spend some private time with my girl.”

“Okay.” Kevin laughed good-naturedly, “Come on, Britt. Let’s go make out in the car.”

Watching as their two friends departed, Elizaveta turned to her girlfriend and asked in a husky voice, “So…what do you have in mind, szereto.”

“Take your clothes off and get on that bed, baby.” Angie replied in an equally sultry voice as she retrieved an object from her dresser drawer, “And I’ll show you.”

 

Maintaining a poker face as he read Daria’s essay during their private tutorial, Percival remarked in an only slightly sarcastic tone, “You might have some ability after all.”

“Well…gee thanks.” The auburn-haired teen responded, matching her tutor’s sarcasm.

“Interesting…your difficult choice was this or music camp.” The faintest traces of a grin appeared on the tutor’s face. “You do realize you don’t have to be here—don’t you? If you wanted to you could be…as you stated here…gorging on potato chips and soda while watching _Sick Sad World_ reruns with your friend. I don’t care whether you show up here or not. I get paid the same whether that classroom is full or if I’m the only one here. So…why are you here when you don’t have to be?”

“Maybe I’m a masochist.” Daria flatly replied.

“Maybe.” Percival nodded his head, “Or maybe you think you might actually get something out of this—or maybe you just want to wipe that smug grin off my face.”

“Maybe.” Daria answered back with a slight grin of her own.

“Well…we’ll see whether you can do either of those things.” The writing teacher smirked, “Now…I want you to write a short story and I want to see you bring your characters to life. Let’s see if you can do that.”

 

Watching the news with her family in the living room, Daria felt her heart freeze as the blood rushed from her face and a cold chill ran up and down her spine.

A perky blonde anchor woman appeared on the television screen, _“This is Heather O’Toole for KSBC News and we have the latest on what has become a growing scandal: The arrest of Dr. James Calan. The State’s Attorney’s office has revealed that even more disturbing information has come out regarding the alleged activities of Dr. Calan.”_ The same prosecutor that had handled Dr. Shar’s prosecution appeared on the screen standing behind a podium with microphones.

“That’s Mr. Sullivan.” Elizaveta exclaimed. Then, seeing the ashen faces on both of her sisters, she inquired in a concerned voice, “Are you all right Daria? Quinn?”

“Uhhhh…” Daria stammered as she tried to regain control of her emotions, “Yeah…I’m fine. Just…”

“Yeah…” Quinn replied in a soft, shaken voice, “I’m…fine…I think.”

“Are you sure, girls?” Helen asked with a worried frown on her face, “Do you want us to change the channel.”

Closing her eyes and exhaling slowly, Daria responded in a soft voice, “No, Mom…I…for some reason, I think I need to see this.”

“Me too.” Quinn added in an equally quiet tone of voice.

“All right.” Helen replied, her face etched with concern for her daughters, “If you insist.”

_“Our investigations into Dr. Calan’s files, corroborated with testimony from witnesses currently in protection confirm an extensive long-term investigation the State’s Attorney’s office has been conducting regarding a sexual trafficking network that has international connections. The State’s Attorney’s office is cooperating with the FBI, the Justice Department, INTERPOL, and other state, federal, and international police and intelligence agencies in tracking down this network and bringing the perpetrators to justice. We suspect that more than a few missing teenage girls were unfortunately caught up in this network.”_

_“Mr. Sullivan? Howard Jenkins with the Lawndale Herald. Can you give us any information about these missing girls?”_

_“We’re still gathering evidence, but I can say that we think that most of the girls were either street kids or from poor environments…”_

“In other words.” Helen growled, “Children no one would miss.” She shook her head sadly, “Those poor girls would have just fallen through the bureaucratic cracks.”

“I could have been one of those girls if you hadn’t found me and took me in, anya…apa.” Elizaveta declared in a soft voice as tears began to roll down her eyes.

_“What led you to Dr. Calan?”_ The reporter asked, following up his question.

_“I’m sorry…”_ Mr. Sullivan replied, _“But I cannot answer that question at this time. You’ll get the opportunity to see and hear all the evidence at Dr. Calan’s upcoming trial. I’m sorry, but that’s all for today. Thank you.”_

“I heard from Eric that Calan’s got a high-powered attorney representing him.” Helen growled as the station returned to its regular programming.

“Wasn’t his assets frozen?” Jake inquired.

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head, “He’s probably called in on favors from clients. I’m betting he’s also in solitary.”

“Yeah.” Daria grimly replied, “I’ve got a feeling some of his clients might figure the best way to cover themselves might be to shut him up permanently.”

“Well…at least you girls are safe.” Jake declared in a firm voice, “Me and your mom would never let anything like that happen to you.”

“That’s right.” Helen’s lips turned up in a smile as she regarded her two natural and one adopted daughter, “We love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to thank Remi for the use of this AU version of his Dr. Calan.


	3. When the Sixties Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yeagers come to visit as the Morgendorffers make an important decision and the mystery surrounding Elizaveta deepens.

“Girls?” Helen called up to her daughters currently in the living room, “Could you come into the kitchen for a moment? Your father and I would like to talk to you.”

“What is it, Mom?” Daria asked as she and her younger sister entered the kitchen and sat down at the table.

“Could you like make this quick?” Quinn whined, “ _Next Year’s Model_ ’s about to start.”

“It won’t take long.” Helen replied, “I’ve asked you here because…well…because Jake and I want to do something, but we’d like to have your approval before we do it.”

“You’re not planning on getting a divorce are you?” Daria deadpanned, “Because if you are, I want the television.”

“We’re not getting a divorce, kiddo.” Jake laughed, “But we are thinking about a new addition to the family.”

“Mom? Ewwww!” Quinn grimaced. “You’re not…”

“No!” Helen emphatically answered as she shook her head. “I’m not pregnant. What we want to do is formally adopt Elizaveta. You see…” She explained, “As long as she’s just our ward, the state can take her away from us any time it wants. But if we formally adopt her, she’s legally a member of our family.”

“What about her own family?” Daria inquired.

“We haven’t heard anything in nearly a year.” Helen responded, “And even inquiries with the Hungarian embassy have turned up nothing.” Shaking her head, the auburn haired lawyer said in a soft voice, “Whatever happened to her original family…now, we’re the only family she’s got.”

“Your mother’s right. She’s already a member of our family.” Jake interjected, “We just want to make it official so that no one can take her away from us.”

“So…girls…” Helen asked as her heart skipped a beat.

Daria and Quinn both glanced at each other and then nodded their heads, “Looks like we have another sister, Quinn.”

“Thanks, girls!” Helen smiled warmly at her daughters as she hugged them, “We’ll break the news to Elizaveta when she gets in from work.”

 

“Horseback riding tomorrow, baby?” Angie asked as she pulled up at the curb in front of the Morgendorffer house.

“I can’t wait, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she undid her lap belt.

“Great. Don’t worry about bringing a swimsuit. We’re gonna go to that little swimming hole I told you about.” Angie grinned, “It’s totally secluded so we can go skinny-dipping.” 

“Mmmm…. sounds good.” Elizaveta purred as she kissed her girlfriend as she exited the car. “Tomorrow, szereto.”

“See you tomorrow, lover!” Angie called back as she started her car. “Say hi to everyone for me.”

As she came through the front door, Elizaveta noticed the rest of her family gathered in the living rom. With a questioning look on her face, the young blonde inquired, “Is everything okay?”

“Couldn’t be better, kiddo!” Jake exclaimed with a wide grin on his face.

“Please, dearie…” Helen smiled warmly, “Have a seat. We want to propose something to you…and…we hope you like it…but the final decision’s yours.”

“All right.” Elizaveta, with a confused look on her face, replied as she sat down on one a comfortable arm chair. “I’m all ears.”

“We talked it over amongst ourselves and we’re all in agreement.” Helen declared, “Jake and I would like to adopt you as our daughter. We already consider you a part of our family. Now, we just want to make it official.”

“What do you say, kiddo?” Jake smiled, “Want to be a Morgendorffer?”

“Apa! Anya!” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a wide grin as she leaped up from her seat and hugged both of her parents. “Nothing would make me happier.” She then added after some thought, “But…there’s something in the back of my mind that doesn’t want me to totally give up the Bathory name…”

“That’s no problem, sweetie.” Helen smiled warmly at her daughter. “We can just hyphenate your name.”

“It’ll be a mouthful.” Jake chuckled, “But it’s okay.”

“Thanks!” Elizaveta smiled as she wiped away the tears of joy appearing on her face, “You’ve made me so happy.”

“Welcome to the family, Sis.” Daria said as she gave her sister a tentative hug.

“Yeah, Sis.” Quinn added, giving Elizaveta a hug as well.

Wiping away tears of her own, Helen said in a warm and tender voice, “There’s some paperwork I need you to sign and then I’ll deliver it to the court on Monday. It’ll take some time to work through the system, but everything should be official by your seventeenth birthday.”

“Yeah.” Jake interjected, “Ummm…if you don’t mind…since we don’t know your real birthday, we were thinking about celebrating it on the day Helen found you…”

Tears of joy once more flowing down her cheeks, Elizaveta answered back with a tender smile, “I think that’s a perfect day.”

“Well…I don’t know about the rest of you all…” Jake exclaimed, “But I think we all deserve an evening out to celebrate.”

“Sounds like a great idea, Jake.” Helen responded as the phone rang. Sighing, the auburn haired lawyer gritted her teeth. “I hope that’s not Eric.” Picking up the phone, she steeled herself in anticipation for hearing the voice of her boss on the other end of the line. Instead, a look of pleased surprise appeared on her face. “Willow? Is that you? You are? Great! We’ll see you tomorrow! Yeah…we’ve got some big news too. We’ll tell you and Coyote tomorrow. Great…we’ll see you then.”

“Was that Willow?” Jake asked with a look of surprise on his face.

“Yeah.” Helen replied, “Her, Coyote, and Ethan are coming over for the weekend.”

“That’s great!” Jake responded as he turned to his girls, “Coyote and Willow are old friends of ours.”

“We used to live together in a commune before we were married.” Helen explained and then, exclaimed as she dashed to the kitchen, “Oh no…I’ve got to get everything ready!”

Curious, Daria and Elizaveta followed their mother into the kitchen. “What are you doing, anya?” Elizaveta asked as she saw Helen standing on a kitchen stool looking for something in the upper shelf.

“I’m going to make some bread.” Helen proclaimed as she took out a bread maker and set it on the kitchen counter.

“Isn’t that what supermarkets are for?” Daria quipped.

“I can’t serve the Yeagers store bought bread.” Helen responded with a sweet smile on her face, “They knew a different Helen. One famous for her oatmeal pumpkin seed loaf.”

“Well…we better let you get to it.” Daria replied, rolling her eyes as Elizaveta smiled back at her mother. “You coming, Elizaveta?”

“In a moment, Daria.” The young blonde replied, “I want to talk a bit with anya first.”

“Suit yourself.” Daria answered back with a shrug of her shoulders as she exited the kitchen.

After Daria had left the kitchen, Elizaveta gave Helen a look of concern, “Are you okay, anya? You look a little…”

“Preoccupied?” Helen chuckled as she sat down at the kitchen table with her daughter. “Yeah…I guess I am.. It’s been about twenty-five years since I’ve seen them and…well…back then they knew a different Helen.”

 

_**A Hippy Commune in 1972** _

“The bread’s done.” Helen, her auburn hair straight and long and wearing bell-bottom jeans and a fringed leather vest over a handmade cotton blouse, announced as she carefully removed a loaf of oatmeal pumpkin seed bread from the wood stove oven.

“Salad’s about done too.” Willow replied as she tossed chopped and sliced vegetables into a wooden bowl already filled with lettuce. “Where are the men?”

“Where else?” Helen responded with a frown as she deliberately raised her voice, “They’re already at the table drinking that fruit juice.” She then raised her voice even louder, “We want some help and we want it now!”

“Sounds like the girls are getting liberated.” A younger Jake, the faintest wisp of a beard on his cheek and his hair longer, also attired with bell-bottomed jeans and a shirt, laughed, his laughter accompanied by the laughter of the other men at the table.

“Cool.” Coyote grinned as he passed a joint around.

 

_**The Present** _

“The more things change…” Helen sighed.

“The more they remain the same.” Elizaveta completed with a crooked grin.

“But not completely.” Helen remarked with a frown as she got up and put on a pot of coffee. “Twenty-five years is a long time. I’ve changed…Jake’s changed. I wonder how much Willow and Coyote have changed…will we still have anything in common after all this time?”

“I guess the only way to find out...” Elizaveta replied as she took the mug of coffee her mother offered her, “Is to wait and see.”

“Yeah…” Helen nodded her head in agreement, “I suppose you’re right. So…” She asked, her lips turned up in a smile as she changed the subject, “Are you and Angie still planning on going out riding tomorrow?”

Elizaveta nodded her head, “Yeah. Angie’s taking me to a little swimming hole that’s out of the way…no one knows about it but her and the Barrows. We’re gonna swim and lay out in the sun a bit…”

“Skinny-dipping, huh?” Helen chuckled as she saw the look of surprise on her blonde daughter’s face, “I was young once, you know. Just be sure you really are alone…okay.”

“Okay, anya.” Elizaveta grinned as she finished her coffee and stood up. “I’ll take care of the coffee while you check on the bread.”

“All right.” Helen laughed and then barely repressed a yawn. “I think I’m going to turn in early tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

 

“Hey, szereto.” Elizaveta exclaimed as she greeted her girlfriend at the door with a kiss. “I’m sorry, you just missed breakfast.”

“That’s okay, baby.” Angie smiled as she returned her lover’s kiss. “I ate at home. I also packed us a lunch. I know how much you like egg salad, so I made that and a thermos of limeade.”

“Hmmm…sounds good.” Elizaveta replied as a classic Volkswagen Beetle parked at the curb, the driver honking his horn as he cut off the engine.

“Talk about your oldies but goodies.” Angie chuckled as she noticed the car and its occupants, the man and woman like they had just come from the sixties, accompanied by a teenage boy wearing jeans and a t-shirt and a dog with a red bandana around its neck. “Who are the refugees from Woodstock?” The platinum-blonde teenager quipped to her girlfriend.

“Those must be the Yeagers.” Elizaveta answered back, “Old friends of anya and apa.” The young Hungarian then called back, “Anya…Apa…your friends are here.”

“Thanks, Sweetie.” Helen responded as she, Jake, Daria, and Quinn all came out of the front door to meet their guests. “Willow! Coyote!” Helen called out to her old friends.

“Helen!” Willow responded as Coyote called out to Jake.

“Man!”

“My man!” Jake responded with a big grin on his face.

Noticing the dog, Helen remarked with a wink, “Why even Leary looks the same.”

“Come here, boy!” Jake called out to the dog, “Don’t you remember old Jake.”

“Come on, Jake.” Helen laughed good-naturedly, “You know that can’t be Leary. He’d be over thirty years old now.”

“Actually, he’s Leary number three.” Willow explained with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” Coyote grinned, “We had to replace the original a couple of times.”

“Too bad we can’t do that with Timothy Leary.” Jake chuckled.

“They’re working on it.” Coyote joked back.

“Here are our irreplaceable daughters.” Helen smiled as she introduced the girls, “Daria, Quinn, and the newest addition to our family, Elizaveta…” She then presented Elizaveta’s companion, “And this is Angie, Elizaveta’s girlfriend.”

Willow first clasped Daria’s hand and stated in a low voice, “You have an old soul.”

“It just looks mature for its age.” Daria quipped as Willow then turned first to Angie and then Elizaveta, taking both girls by the hand.

“The stars will call out to you one day.” Willow told Angie with a sad smile, “When they do, don’t be afraid to go to them. Do not worry about her. She will be happy and will approve and understand.” She then turned to Elizaveta, her voice laden with compassion and warmth as she spoke, “You have given your friends the time they need to stop the transition and save us all. When it is time, you will remember those you forgot and they will take you home, child of the stars. You will also remember those you leave behind. Remember always that you fight to preserve life. Live, embrace the universe, drink Kristal champagne, dance, and love. That is the greatest gift you can give Jadzia, Nyota, Manuele, and all the others you lost.”

“What?” Elizaveta and Angie both exclaimed at the same time as the others looked on with looks of astonishment on their faces.

“What do you know about Jadzia?” Elizaveta asked, “Please…I keep seeing her face in my dreams…”

“She loved you.” Willow smiled warmly at the young blonde. “You were her best friend and she misses you. She’s worried about Ezri and Julian though. Julian is in a very dark place now and Ezri is worried about him. Jadzia wants you to try to look after them when you return home.”

“What do you mean ‘return home’, Willow?” Helen demanded. “This is Elizaveta’s home now.”

“Yes…” Willow nodded her head knowingly, “It is.” She then smiled at her old friend and the young couple, “When it is time, you will all understand. Until then, enjoy being with each other and know that even though love might change with time, it is always with you.”

“What do you mean, Willow?” Helen, confused and concerned at both her friend’s words and her daughter’s reactions, inquired.

“It’s not time yet, Helen. When it is, you will know. But don’t cry…it will be a time of joy.” Willow answered back as she gave Elizaveta and Angie another smile. “Enjoy your time together.”

“C’mon, baby.” A flustered Angie whispered as she gently urged a shaken Elizaveta to her car, “We need to get going if we’re going to make it to the swimming hole by lunch.”

“I’ll see you later, anya…apa…” Elizaveta called out to her parents, then seeing the look of worry on her mother’s face, rushed up and hugged her, “It’s okay, anya…” She lowered her voice as she whispered in her mother’s ear in an effort to calm not only her mother’s worries, but her own as well, “I’m sure Willow just had a little too much of something to smoke…if you know what I mean.”

Her lips turning up in a slight grin, Helen responded, her voice also a whisper as she also attempted to put on a brave front, “You’re probably right, sweetie. You two have fun.”

 

“Are you okay, baby?” Angie asked, her voice edged with worry, as they got out of her car at the stables. “You didn’t talk very much on the way over.”

“I’m okay.” Elizaveta smiled back at her girlfriend and then sighed, “I guess I’m still a little shaken up by what Willow told us.”

“Probably the product of juiced up weed.” Angie chuckled. Then her laughter fading, she also let out a sigh, “I have to admit though…I can’t help but wondering what she meant when she told me that one day the stars would call out to me and to not be afraid to answer them and that she’d understand.”

“Maybe she thinks you should write science fiction.” Elizaveta suggested with a laugh as the pair made their way to the stables on foot.

“I don’t think so.” Angie shook her head. “I’m not cut out to be writer anyway.” She said in an effort to bring the conversation to more mundane matters, “My intentions are to go on and get my BA and then my MA and probably teach…I might go for my Ph.D. in history or literature…depends on how well I do in college…but I’m not really planning on going that far. Knowing my luck, I’ll be teaching English or history at Lawndale High and assisting with the cheerleaders. Although…” she remarked in a pensive voice, “…I wouldn’t mind counseling gay, lesbian, and bi students. It’s not easy being gay and a teenager…especially if you’re alone.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I was thinking about going into astronomy or physics myself in college—maybe engineering.” She then shook her head, “How did she know about Jadzia though? And who are Ezri and Julian? She seems to think I know them well…but I can’t remember them. And Nyota…Manuele? I can see shadows sometimes…but no faces.”

“Like I said…” Angie grinned, “Too much special stuff in the weed. Don’t worry about it, baby.” The platinum-blonde girl consoled as she hugged her lover close to her, “The future will take care of itself and I’ll be beside you every step of the way. I love you…don’t you ever forget that.”

Hugging her girlfriend back, Elizaveta smiled, “I know. I love you too. And neither one of us is going anywhere in the near future.” She then quipped, “And yeah…too much patchouli for Willow.”

“Hey, girls! Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Turning in the direction of the male approaching them, both girls grinned, “Hey, Danny.” Angie replied, “No…you’re not interrupting anything. We just had a close encounter of the weird kind with one of Elizaveta’s parents’ old hippie friends.”

“Well…if you want…you can tell me all about it while we saddle up.” Danny Jr. proposed as he joined the girls.

“Sounds good.” Elizaveta answered back as the threesome made their way to the stables.

As the girls recounted their conversation with the hippy woman while they walked, Danny quietly listened. Then after they’d finished, Angie queried with a chuckle, “So…what do you think, Danny? Too much weed?”

“Probably.” Danny chuckled for a bit and then, his laughter fading, added in a more serious tone of voice, “But I wouldn’t totally discount what she was saying.” Chuckling again as he saw the incredulous looks on his companions’ faces, the young army officer explained, “Oh…no question she was probably tokin’ a bit…but…” his laughter once again faded, “…some sort of trauma might well have caused your amnesia, Elizaveta. She might have picked up on that through a lucky guess.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she considered the young man’s suggestions.

“Dad might be able to help you out if you want.” Danny proposed. “He saw and went through quite a bit while he was in Vietnam and he’s helped other vets deal with their issues. He’s even helped a few Russian veterans deal with what they saw and all while serving in Afghanistan. At least think about it.”

“It couldn’t hurt, baby.” Angie said, adding her voice to Danny’s plea.

Nodding her head, Elizaveta considered their new friend’s words, “Hmmm…it couldn’t hurt…and maybe it might lead me to a few answers.”

“Great!” Danny exclaimed as a crooked grin appeared on his face as he deliberately lightened the tone of the conversation, “So…you two planning on spending the afternoon at the swimming hole?”

“Yeah.” Angie replied with a crooked grin of her own, “And sorry, but no…. you’re not invited. Girls day only”

“That’s ok.” Danny chuckled, “Monica’s joining me and we’re going to take the forest trail. We kinda have plans of our own.”

Laughing, Angie joked back, “Well, you two have fun doing what we’re going to be doing.” Smiling at her girlfriend, she suggested, “Let’s get saddled up…I’m ready to head out.”

 

Back at the Morgendorffer house, the Yeagers were settling in as Helen noticed that her youngest daughter was spending quite a bit of time with the Yeager boy. Her lips turned up in a mischievous smile, Helen inquired in a teasing manner, “Don’t you have a date tonight, Quinn?”

“Stacy’s filling in for me.” Quinn responded in an innocent voice as she smiled at the boy sitting next to her.

“So…what have you two been doing all these years?” Helen asked her old friends.

“We’ve been selling hammocks made out of hemp for the past twelve years or so.” Coyote responded.

“Yeah.” Willow nodded her head, “And with recent developments in hemp processing, we’re looking at a massive increase in sales.”

“That’s great.” Jake exclaimed. Turning to Ethan, he asked good-naturedly, “You into sports, Ethan?” Hearing no response from the teen, he repeated, “Ethan?”

“He doesn’t participate in sports.” Willow interjected piously, “We think there’s enough aggressive behavior on this planet without his contributing to it.”

“He’s going to go into rock climbing when he’s ready.” Coyote declared as he smiled at his son.

“Yeah.” Ethan murmured in a bored voice, “Whatever.” Then, seeing the peas, shoveled some on to his plate.

“Hmmm…” Willow smiled, “You can always tell when bread has been hand-kneaded. Store bought bread has no heart or soul.”

“I can’t stand all this veggie crap.” Jake remarked, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I want a burger.” Seeing the shocked looks on the Yeagers’ faces and the look of disapproval from his wife, Jake grunted, “Hey…it’s the circle of life.”

“You know…you’ve become more aggressive, Jake.” Coyote noted disapprovingly.

“No, I haven’t.” Jake vehemently denied.

“It’s the meat.” Willow declared sanctimoniously.

“No it isn’t!” Jake responded as Helen sighed inwardly, inwardly understanding, while outwardly denying the fact that she and her husband had changed while their friends had seemingly remained stuck in time.

 

“Why can’t it be like this forever?” A very content and naked Elizaveta remarked as she lay next to her girlfriend, also naked and serene, both girls recovering from a bout of passionate lovemaking following their swim.

Leaning over and kissing her girlfriend on her lips, Angie replied in a soft voice, “I wish it could.” She then looked up at the clouds. You see that one…it looks like a bird…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back, “It does.” Her lips then turned up in a sly grin, “So, we still on for the flea market tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Angie then added, “Stacy called last night and asked if she could join us. I told her I’d ask you first, but I didn’t have a problem with it if you didn’t.”

“Sure.” Elizaveta agreed. “Tell her she’s welcome to join us.”

“Great.” Angie smiled, “I think she’s looking for new ideas for costuming—sounds like she’s really getting into drama club.”

“Tiffany too.” Elizaveta remarked. “I don’t think Quinn’s too pleased by it.”

“Oh?” Angie exclaimed, “What did the princess say?”

“Oh, she didn’t come out and say that she didn’t like it.” Elizaveta explained, “But I think she’s a little worried that they might be drifting away from the Fashion Club.”

“In other words learning how to think for themselves.” Angie laughed.

Joining her girlfriend in laughter, Elizaveta postulated after her laughter faded away, “While I think that’s part of it, I think Quinn’s also afraid of being alone.” She further explained, “Quinn’s not that close with Tiffany, but she considers Stacy a close friend—her best friend. You know what that’s like.”

“Yeah.” Angie sighed, “Sounds like me and Brittany. You know how protective I am of her.”

“Right. Quinn’s the same way with Stacy.” Elizaveta replied, “She doesn’t want to see her hurt.”

“The problem is…if she tries too hard to keep her close, she’ll smother her.” Angie noted, “I don’t like to see Brittany do some of the stupid stuff she sometimes does, but I realize that I’ve got to let her make her own decisions.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “Sooner or later we’ve all got to make difficult decisions and hard choices and those decisions have to be ours…no one else can make them for us.”

Remembering Willow’s words, Angie’s lips turned up in a winsome smile, “Like not being afraid to answer the call of the stars…whatever that means.”

“Exactly.” Elizaveta smiled at her girlfriend as she got up and straddled her, “So szereto…this star’s calling out to you now. Ready for round two?”

“Don’t you ever get enough?” Angie answered back with a teasing laugh.

“Never.” Elizaveta responded.

“Mmmm…Don’t ever change, baby.” Angie purred as she held out her arms and embraced her lover, “Now…come to momma.”

 

“Don’t eat any of your mom’s friend’s brownies and I’ll see you tomorrow, baby.” Angie joked as she gave her lover a kiss on the lips in front of the Morgendorffer house. 

“Bye, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled back and returned her girlfriend’s kiss. Entering her home, she went into the kitchen where she saw her mother seated at the table with a glass of wine in front of her. “Is everything okay, anya?”

“Yeah, sweetie.” Helen replied, her lips turning up in a warm smile as she regarded her daughter. “You and Angie have a good time riding?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Mind if I join you?”

“Go ahead.” Helen grinned, “Grab yourself a glass and little bit of wine if you want.”

“Thanks.” The young blonde responded as she took a glass, filling it a quarter full with chilled white wine. Joining her mother at the table, she asked, “So where are your friends?”

“They’re out back with Jake.” The auburn-haired lawyer sighed.

“What’s wrong, anya? Elizaveta asked as she took a sip of her wine.

“Just remembering a conversation we all had earlier today.” Helen responded with a sigh. “Willow and Coyote were talking about how, after Jake and I got married and left the commune, they painted a bus and drove out into the desert.”

Elizaveta flatly stated, “They cut and ran while you and apa took on responsibilities.”

“That’s how I would like to see it.” Helen replied with an ironic grin, “The way they see it though…we sold out to a superficial profit driven culture.” 

“What do you think?” Elizaveta queried.

“Jake and I had to make some compromises with our values.” Helen confessed, “But…we didn’t have any choice. Jake worked his ass off so that I could go to law school and then we both worked to pay off my student loans and then later…well…Daria came along and shortly after her, Quinn. All of a sudden, we found ourselves with a family to support, a mortgage and bills to pay…”

“In other words.” Elizaveta smiled warmly at her mother, “…a life to live. While Willow and Coyote have never really grown up.”

“I guess that’s true.” Helen chuckled as she took a sip of her wine. “But…you know…there’s a lot to be said for being true to yourself.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement and then gently countered, “But…what sort of environment would it be like if you had to raise Daria and Quinn in a commune in the desert? They wouldn’t have anyone to talk to or be with other than you, apa, and the others in the commune. They’d miss out a lot on what the world has to offer and what about their education?”

“I see what you mean.” Helen sighed, “And you’re right. It wouldn’t have been fair for Daria and Quinn.” She then chuckled, “You know…Daria called and asked if she could stay at Jane’s. I said it was okay…that it would free up her room for Coyote and Willow…and she advised me to tether them to the bed so that they don’t float away.”

Laughing with her mother, Elizaveta quipped, “And maybe turn up the air conditioning and filtration system in the room so that it doesn’t smell too much like Woodstock.”

“Thankfully they’ve been considerate about that at least.” Helen shook her head, “You know, every time Coyote reaches into his pocket, my heart skips a beat because I’m afraid he’s going to pull out a joint and light it up.”

Laughing, Elizaveta joked back, “Yeah…that’s just what we need for those two to be getting high right when the Police Benevolent Association shows up for it’s fund raiser.” Then, finishing her wine, she got up from her seat and hugged her mother, “Are you going to be okay, anya?”

“Yeah.” Helen smiled warmly at the young blonde, “I’m feeling better now, thanks. I think I’ll go and collect Jake and get ready for bed.”

“Me too.” Elizaveta replied, “Angie’s coming over tomorrow and we’re planning on spending the day together.”

“Riding again?” Helen asked as she bussed the table.

“No.” Elizaveta smiled, “We’re going to check out the flea market with Stacy.”

“Sounds like a good time.” Helen remarked and then kissed her daughter good night, “Good night, sweetie.”

 

“That’s Angie, I’ll get it!” Elizaveta called out as she rushed to the door. Opening it, she grinned as she saw her girlfriend and gave her a kiss, “Morning, szereto.”

“Morning, baby.” Angie replied as she returned her lover’s kiss, “Ready?”

“Yep.” Elizaveta answered back as she glanced back to make sure no one was listening. “Apa said he was growing a beard again.”

Chuckling, Angie responded, “You can tell me all about it on our way to Stacy’s. C’mon…I wanna check out the used books.”

“Let’s go.”

Arriving at the flea market with Stacy, the young brunette smiled broadly as she noticed a stall where an older woman was selling vintage clothing. “Can we check that place out?” She asked as she pointed at the stall. 

“Sure.” Elizaveta grinned as Angie nodded her head in agreement.

“Good idea. There might be something we can wear.” 

As they approached the stall, the elderly woman smiled kindly at the three girls. “Come on in and take a look.” She said in a welcoming voice, “If you need any help, just let me know.”

Pulling out a 1950s era dress, Stacy exclaimed in an excited voice, “This is exactly what I’m looking for! The drama club’s planning on putting on ‘Death of a Salesman’ this fall and this dress will help me design the women’s costumes.”

“Hey baby!” Angie called out as she held a gold lame mini-dress against herself, “What do you think? Is it me?”

“Oh, it’s you, szereto.” Elizaveta grinned as she held out a mini-dress of her own, this one with a turquoise hue. “You like?”

“Love it.” Angie smiled broadly as the three girls took their dresses to the old lady and paid for them. “Let’s see what else we can find.” She suggested as the trio left the clothing stall and began walking through the outdoor market, browsing the various shops and stalls. Then, coming up on Daria and Jane standing behind a table holding boxes of vinyl records they approached.

“Hey Daria…Jane…anya said you’d be here, but I didn’t think you’d be here as a seller.” Elizaveta called out as she, Angie, and Stacy approached.

“We’re helping my brother.” Jane replied, “He finally decided to sell his old records.”

“What’s he selling?” Angie asked as she began to peruse the albums, “Hmmm…he’s got some classics here.” Then, spotting the Moody Blues _Nights in White Satin_ album, she called out enthusiastically, “Baby! Come take a look! Moody Blues!” Taking the album out of its slip case, she carefully examined it. “Your brother took good care of it.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader noted. Then, carefully putting the record back, she opened her purse, “Two dollars?”

“Seven fifty.” Jane countered with a grin.

“Four dollars.” Angie countered, “Final offer. I can get the same album at a used record shop for just about that.”

“Done.” Jane agreed as she took the money and then handed the album to the cheerleader. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Thanks.” Angie grinned as she turned to her lover and whispered in her ear, “We’re listening to this tonight. Guaranteed this will get us in the mood.”

“As if we need anything.” Elizaveta joked back with a leer.

“You two get outta here and find yourselves a room.” Daria jibed as Trent and Jesse approached.

“Hey girls.” Trent called out as Jesse muttered a simple, “Hey.”

“Hey, Bro.” Jane responded as a red-faced Daria murmured a shy “Hello.” Gesturing towards the Barbies, the dark-haired artist grinned, “We made our first sale.”

“I bought your Moody Blues album.” Angie smirked, “I’m surprised you’re letting that one go.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Trent replied, “The band needs the bread and I don’t listen to it anyway.”

“They’re one of my favorite groups.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader stated, “I just love how they fuse rock, jazz, and classical together.”

“Then you’ll love Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.” Trent said as he picked out one of that group’s albums. “Here…on the house.”

“Thanks.” Angie grinned as she turned to her girlfriend, “Wanna listen to it when we get home?”

“Sounds like a good idea, szereto.” Elizaveta’s lips then turned up in a wicked grin as she regarded her sister, doing her best to stay unnoticed in the background. “What do you think, Daria?” She teased as she glanced first at her sister, then at Trent, “Maybe you could ask Angie if you could borrow it sometime to listen to it with someone…”

“Dismember you slowly and feed your parts to the wild dogs, Sis.” Daria muttered under her breath as Elizaveta, Angie, and Jane all chuckled while Trent remained with an apparently clueless look on his face.

“Come on, baby.” Angie laughed as she touched her girlfriend’s arm, “Let’s see what else we can find. Ready to go, Stacy?”

“Yeah.” The young teen, who had been quietly browsing the record albums as she tried to hold back her laughter replied. “I spotted a stall selling fabric I’d like to check out if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure thing.” Elizaveta responded, “Let’s go.” She then waved at her sister and the others, “See you later—have fun!”

 

“Mmmm…. I had fun.” Angie growled in a sultry voice as she kissed her girlfriend in front of the Morgendorffer house. “That album sure did put us in the mood, didn’t it?”

“Mmmm…yes.” Elizaveta purred in response as she nuzzled up next to her lover. “And real white satin sheets…”

“Nothing but the best for my baby.” Angie replied as she nibbled Elizaveta’s ear. “So…” She asked as the pair reluctantly broke from their embrace and began to make their way to the front door holding each other’s hands, “What are you doing today?”

“The Yeagers are leaving, so I guess saying goodbyes and cleaning up.” Elizaveta sighed, “This weekend’s been kind of a circus for anya and apa…”

“Not to mention your sister and Jane.” Angie laughed, “I can’t believe they trusted Upchuck to watch their booth.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Not the brightest of moves…but I don’t think they really cared that much.”

“Shame.” Angie sighed, “Trent had some good tunes. I wish I’d bought more. You know…” She remarked as the pair paused in front of the front door, not knowing that their conversation was being overheard by both Willow and Helen who were at that time having their own conversation while the men loaded the luggage into the VW for the ride back home. “I’ve always considered the sixties something of a mixed bag. There was a lot of good stuff: the music, the fashions, some good TV shows and movies, landing on the moon…and yeah…some very important issues were raised like racism, sexism, nuclear weapons, the environment, speaking out against the war in Vietnam and all, but there was a lot of bad stuff too…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement, “Like the riots and terror groups such as Black September, the Weather Underground, Baader-Meinhof, the Red Army Faction…a lot of innocent people got killed.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head in agreement, “And a lot of historical documents got destroyed during the Paris student riots.”

“I guess we did leave our children a mixed legacy.” Helen whispered to her friend as they quietly listened to the girls’ conversation.

“Yeah…but we did some good too.” Willow responded with a sweet smile, “We wanted to make the world a better place—there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

“No…not at all.” A sad smile came to Helen’s face as she nodded in agreement. “We didn’t totally succeed and we got sidetracked along the way, but I think we made a difference.”

“Yes…we did.” Willow agreed with a grin.

“So…what are your and Coyote’s plans now, Willow?” Helen inquired.

“We’re going to stick with our business.” The former hippy replied, “It’s bringing in a good income…although…” her lips turned up in a slight grin, “…I think it’s time we left the sixties. Going to the store to buy bread and giving Ethan a chance to broaden his social horizons and maybe even letting Coyote play a little golf isn’t such a bad thing…is it?”

“Not at all.” Helen chuckled, “You might even want to think about maybe selling your stuff online…Jake was telling me about that company that only sells books online now. He said that he’d read in a business magazine that they were thinking about branching out into other products.”

“Maybe…” Willow nodded her head as she gave her friend’s suggestion serious thought. She then inquired, “So…what are you going to do now?” 

“Stay on with the firm.” Helen answered back, “I want to make partner if for no other reason than just to throw it in Eric’s and those other fossil’s faces.”

“Just don’t lose yourself along the way, Helen.” Willow cautioned as she placed a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Glancing first at Angie and Elizaveta and then at Daria and Quinn, Helen replied with a gentle laugh, “I don’t think my girls will let me.”

“Take care of her.” Willow pleaded as she glanced at Elizaveta, “I could tell the moment I read her aura that she’s special. Ghosts that she has forgotten for now still haunt her. Be there for her when they surface.”

“You know I will.” Helen declared, “Just as I will be for all my girls.”

“I’m glad.” Willow replied with a sad smile, “And…when it is time…know that she’ll always remember and love you and you’ll always remember and love her.” The former hippy then gestured towards the VW where Coyote and Jake were standing after having loaded it. “I guess it’s time for us to go now.” She then gave her old friend a kiss on the cheek, “You all come and see us sometime.”

“We will.” Helen replied as the pair, entering the house, made their way to the kitchen. Picking up her bread maker, she handed it to her friend, “Here…take it…I never use it.”

“Thanks.” Willow smiled back, “This will cut down on the time I spend baking for Ethan and Coyote.”

“Sister.” Helen laughed as she opened the freezer, “Meet the frozen bagel.”

Laughing, the women exited the house and joined the others at the VW. 

“Take care, Willow…Coyote!” Helen exclaimed as she hugged her friends.

“Take it easy, my man!” Jake smiled as he shook his old friend’s hand. “And you too, Willow.” He added as he gave his other friend a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“You guys keep it real.” Coyote grinned as Ethan put Leary in the car and then joined the dog in the back seat.

“Love you.” Willow smiled as she kissed her friends goodbye. Then, once again smiling at Helen repeated her plea from earlier as she glanced in the direction of Elizaveta and Angie, “Be there when she needs you, Helen…and don’t be afraid for either of them…they’re going to touch the stars.”

Waving goodbye as their friends sped away, Jake turned towards his wife, “What was that all about, Helen?”

Smiling at her third daughter, the auburn-haired mother replied, “I guess we’ll know when the time comes, Jake.”

Laughing as she pointed at all the male dogs chasing the VW, Angie quipped to her girlfriend, “I wonder if they’ll ever tumble on to the fact that Leary’s a she…”

“What do you mean?” Quinn asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Angie’s laughter grew louder as first Elizaveta and Daria, and then Helen and Jake joined in, “That dog’s in heat!”


	4. Summer Fun

“Okay, Kevin…” Lowering her head and closing her eyes for a moment as she pinched her nose, Angie tried once again to get through to the quarterback. “Let’s try it this way…” Angie suggested as she decided to try a different tact, “You’re George Washington…it’s fourth down and goal and you’re on the British two yard line. The British have been shutting down your running attack the entire game. There’s only five seconds left in the game…time for one more play…and you’re behind by five points. You lose this game…you lose the season. What do you do?”

“Heh…Angie…” The quarterback chuckled, “There’s only one thing I can do. The British are ready for the run, so I fake a handoff to Robert, do a bootleg, and throw the short pass to Mack for the TD.”

“That’s exactly what Washington did at the Battle of Trenton!” Angie explained. “His back was up against the wall. His team was getting ready to quit and the team owners in the Continental Congress were getting ready to fire him and replace him with another coach. He had to win, so he put everything on one last play.”

“In other words…” Kevin exclaimed as comprehension dawned on him, “He threw a Hail Mary.”

“That’s it, Kevin!” Angie grinned, “You’ve got it!”

“Wow!” Brittany exclaimed, “I didn’t know New Jersey allowed women to vote back during the Revolution.”

“Not just white women.” Elizaveta explained, “But also free African-Americans—men and women. But they changed the law in 1807 where women and African-Americans couldn’t vote anymore and made it where only taxpaying white males could vote.”

“Why?” Brittany asked as she twirled a lock of golden hair. “That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Politics.” Elizaveta answered back. “The Democratic-Republican Party then in power wanted to keep the Federalist party down and most women and African-Americans voted for the Federalists…so by taking the vote away from them…”

“They made sure that the Dummycrappic Repubicons would win.” Brittany frowned, “That’s cheating.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she saw that Brittany had picked up on the subject, “It was.”

“So how’s the tutoring going?” Helen asked as she entered Elizaveta’s room where the teenagers were studying bearing a tray with lemonade and snacks.”

“We’re making progress, anya.” Elizaveta replied with a slight smile.

“Slow, but sure.” Angie agreed as Helen set the tray down on Elizaveta’s desk.

“I just thought you guys could use a little break.” 

“Thanks, anya.” Elizaveta smiled back, “The lemonade looks good.”

“Yeah.” Kevin grinned as he took a glass and a cookie, “Thanks, Mrs. Morgendorffer.”

“Don’t mention it.” Helen grinned and then let out a breath, “I better get back down and check on those contractors working on our backyard. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Mrs. M.” Angie responded as she turned to her girlfriend and inquired, “Where are Daria and Quinn?”

“Quinn’s off babysitting the Gupty kids.” Elizaveta responded, “And as for Daria…” The young blonde’s lips turned up in a sardonic grin, “She didn’t take anya’s threat seriously…that if she didn’t find something to do this summer, anya would do it for her. Well…”

“Helen found something…” Angie quipped with a smirk on her face.

“Yep.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Six weeks of music camp.”

“Pop goes the weasel.” Angie chuckled.

“I didn’t know Daria liked music.” Brittany exclaimed as she took a glass of lemonade. “She doesn’t look like the type that likes to…”

“Have fun?” Elizaveta finished with a mild chuckle.

“Yeah.” Kevin nodded his head, “She never smiles.”

“And when she does smile, it’s because someone messed up or something.” Brittany declared with a frown.

“Daria’s not a bad person.” Elizaveta declared, coming to the defense of her step-sister, “It’s just she’s had some bad experiences before coming here and they caused her to be very careful about who she lets get close to her.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, agreeing with her girlfriend, “I’ve gotten to know her and Quinn better than I probably would have otherwise because I’m going out with Elizaveta and spend a lot of time here. She’s got some issues…hell…both of them do…most of them having to do with each other..” The platinum-blonde admitted as Elizaveta nodded in agreement, “But deep down, she’s okay. It’s just that sometimes she goes off the rails like she did with the yearbook.” 

“And she can be pretty thoughtless and maybe a little cruel at times.” Elizaveta admitted, “Like with what happened with Jennifer…but…well…we all get that way once in a while.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “None of us are perfect.”

“Except my Kevvy!” Brittany exclaimed as she gave her boyfriend a kiss.

“And on that note…” Angie sighed, “It’s time for us to turn to math.”

“Right.” Elizaveta nodded her head, picking up on her cue, “Okay…Britt…Kevin…we’re going to take this next stuff nice and easy so if you get confused or don’t understand something, just let me know and I’ll go over it again with you. Here’s what you do to solve for x in this equation…”

A couple of hours later, as Brittany and Kevin waved their goodbyes, Angie sighed in relief, “Think we did any good, baby?”

“I think so.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “We’re not going to make A or B students out of them, but if they keep it up, I think Brittany can pull up to a solid C…maybe even a C+ if she tries.”

“What about Kevin?” Angie inquired as Helen joined the two girls at the door.

Letting out a breath, Elizaveta replied, “If he works at it and gets serious, we might be able to help him work up to D+ or C-…enough for him to pass. But he’s like Brittany…too easily distracted.”

“Maybe the problem’s not with either of their intelligence.” Helen interjected thoughtfully, “One or both of them could be suffering from a learning disorder. Has the school checked for that?”

“Ms. Li and Ms. Manson…” Angie let out a snort of derision, “Ms. Li could care less as long as Kevin is winning games and scoring touchdowns. And Ms. Manson…I’m surprised her license hasn’t been yanked yet. She does whatever Li wants her to do. And as far as Britt’s concerned…” She shook her head in sadness and frustration as she considered the plight of her best friend, “Mr. Taylor doesn’t care how well she does in school. He gives her whatever she wants. All she has to do is not make any waves or cause any real scandals. Other than that, he’s got no problem throwing money at it and making it go away.”

“Then that’s something that has to be changed.” Helen noted, “We probably can’t do anything about Mr. Taylor spending money to bail Brittany out, but I think there might be something we can do for both of them anyway.” Seeing that she had the two girls’ attention, she outlined her plan, “You two just keep on doing what you’re doing and keep trying to get them motivated to do better and I think I’ll bring up at the fact that students with learning disorders aren’t getting the attention they need at the school open house before classes start in fall.”

“We can do that.” Elizaveta smiled as she gave her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze.

“Well…I gotta get home too.” Angie remarked as she kissed Elizaveta goodbye. “See you tomorrow, baby. Catch you later, Mrs. M.”

 

“I thought there was a law against cruel and inhuman punishment.” Daria grumbled as she lay face up on Jane’s bed, counting ceiling tiles.

“Hey…” Jane responded with a smirk as she concentrated on her current project, a sculpture made out of junk kitchen appliances, “It could have been worse. Helen could have signed you up as a counselor at the Ok to Cry Corral.”

“That would have been grounds for justifiable homicide.” Daria responded in a flat voice.

“Why don’t you try to find something else?” Jane suggested, “You’ve only been there for a day. Your folks should still be able to get a refund on the fee. There’s a writer’s workshop beginning at the community center in a couple of days. You could go to them and see if they’ll go for that.”

“Might as well.” Daria sighed, “Since bribery doesn’t work as well as it used to anymore.” 

“Oh?” Jane’s eyebrows rose, “What happened? A moral epiphany?”

“No.” Daria shrugge4d her shoulders, “I don’t know. Mom’s just been acting weirder recently.” 

“How so?” Jane asked, her curiosity aroused.

The auburn-haired teen sighed, “Mom just said that things were going to start changing around the house. She’s beginning to act like a real mother now and I’m not sure I know how to deal with it or even if I like it. We had a system…” Daria tried to explain, “…it was dysfunctional, but it worked. Now…” She shook her head, “I’m not sure what to think.”

“You know…” Jane replied, gently reproving her friend, “Having a mother who’s available when you need her and actually gives a damn about how you’re doing might not be such a bad thing.” Some of us would like that. Jane said to herself as she returned to her project.

“Yeah….” Daria sighed as she got off the bed, “I’m going back home. The morons and Angie should be gone now so it should be safe to return. I’ll see you later.”

“Later, amiga.” Jane responded, shaking her head as her friend walked out.

 

As the family sat over the dinner table, Daria made her pitch. “So…the writers’ workshop meets at the same time as music camp, and I checked and you can get a full refund on what you paid for music camp.”

“What would you be doing in this workshop, dear?” Helen asked as she took a bite from her lasagna.

“I’d be writing different types of poetry and prose and I’d be working with a tutor and group to polish it up with the goal of producing something that could be published. There would also be guest speakers—published writers, giving talks and offering advice.” Daria responded as she targeted her pitch at what she knew would most intrigue her mother.

Nodding her head, Helen then inquired, “Will you submit your project to someone after the workshop ends?”

Taking a deep breath, Daria, knowing that her answer here would determine whether she went to the workshop or spend six weeks playing Pop Goes the Weasel, gave her answer, “I promise that if you let me enroll in the workshop, I’ll submit my work to a publisher.”

Nodding her head, Helen made her decision. “All right. I’ll cancel your enrollment in the music camp and enroll you in the writers’ workshop. However…” she cautioned, ‘…I’m going to expect you to put your time and effort into this. You’ll attend every session and will produce a finished product. I’m not going to let you lie in your room all day doing nothing. Do we understand each other?”

“Agreed.” Daria replied with a slight grin. “May I be excused?” After receiving her mother’s approval, the auburn-haired teen walked up to the stairs to her room. Closing the door, she dialed her friend on the phone. “Jane?”

“Yeah, Daria?”

“She went for it. I’m enrolling in the writers’ workshop.” Daria announced in a flat tone.

“Well, it beats music camp.” Jane responded consolingly.

“Not by much.’ Daria answered back. “I’m going to have to produce results.”

 

“You’re doing a great job on the costumes, Stacy.” Ms. Graham, the theater teacher for Lawndale High and also sponsor of the drama club, exclaimed as she examined the work of her new costume designer. “You’ve got a real talent for this.”

“Thank you Ms. Graham.” Stacy responded with a broad grin, “Thank you for giving me the chance.”

“You’ve earned it.” The theater teacher smiled back, “I’m hoping I’ll see you in a theater course this fall and that you’ll continue in the club.”

“I intend to.” Stacy impulsively replied, not caring—for now—how Quinn or Sandi would react. The young brunette then inquired, “How’s Tiffany doing?”

“She’s doing great.” Ms. Graham answered back as she called the Eurasian teen over, “Tiffany? I just wanted to let you know you’re doing a great job keeping things organized. I assume you’ll be enrolling in theater 1 next semester?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Tiffany replied with a smile. “But I’m not sure how I’d do on the stage acting.”

“I wasn’t thinking about acting…” Ms. Graham mused, “…but I have been noticing how good a job you’ve been doing in making sure everything goes according to plan. Have you thought about going into production or direction?”

“No, Ms. Graham.” Tiffany responded honestly.

“Well…let’s begin getting you used to doing that and we’ll see how it goes—okay?”

“Okay!” Tiffany answered back with a broad smile.

“Great!” The drama teacher nodded her head. “You girls go ahead and grab some lunch and we’ll wrap things up for the day.”

As their teacher walked away, Stacy turned to her friend and then asked in a low voice, “What are we going to do about the Fashion Club? I don’t want to quit doing this—I’m having too much fun and I’m really learning something, but I still want to be friends with Sandi and Quinn.”

“Me too.” Tiffany agreed and then a look of determination appeared on her face, “Maybe it’s time we did what we want to do for a change—what do you think?”

“Maybe you’re right.” Stacy nodded her head in agreement. “I haven’t had a single panic attack all summer and for the first time in years I’m really having fun.”

“It helps that Sandi’s in Europe with her mother on vacation and Quinn’s busy babysitting.” Tiffany sighed, “You know…it’s not going to be easy when fall comes—they’re not going to like this.”

“I know.” Stacy sighed and then a grin slowly appeared on her face, “But maybe we can make it work. We’ll just tell them that our parents are making us do this/”

“Maybe.” Tiffany nodded her head, “We can tell them that they want us in another club while still gong to the Fashion Club meetings and staying friends with them.”

“Yeah.” Stacy grinned, “Sandi and Quinn won’t want to join drama club because it’s too much work, but our joining shouldn’t get them too mad at us because it’s a moderately popular club—not like chess club, math club, or the debating team. Let’s do it.”

 

As she entered the makeshift classroom where the writing workshop met, Daria at once noticed that, besides teenagers her age, there were also a smattering of college age attendees and even a few adults. Taking the last seat left, one with a teenage boy with dark hair and the barest wisp of hair on his chin, and a middle-aged woman on the other, Daria greeted her teeth as the leader of the workshop, a middle-aged man wearing a tweed jacket took his place at the front of the classroom.

Sniffing disdainfully at his students, the workshop leader sneered, “My name is Percival Lancaster and I’m a professional writer. And you…well…” He let out a snort, “We’ll see whether you’re capable of writing something worth reading or whether you’re better suited sticking to crayons. Now…let’s get started. I want you to write about the first thing that comes into your head—no matter how stupid it will undoubtedly be. You have ten minutes—go.”

After everyone had turned in their papers, the Percival read each one out to the class, sparing no one with his biting criticism as he tore each work apart, causing at least three of the attendees to depart in tears. He then began to read Daria’s paper, his lips curled in a sneer. “This is the work of someone who is merely a spectator in life, but too afraid to be a participant. This person’s use of sarcasm falls flat because it has no soul—no heart. The writing is pedantic—boring. It’s as if the ‘writer’..” Daria could almost see the scare quotes around writer as he spoke, “…didn’t even care about what they wrote.” He then tossed Daria’s work down on his desk. “And no—you can’t ‘jazz up ‘your writing with insincere adjectives and adverbs. You have to write with empathy and you have to care about what you’re writing.” 

Looking about the class at those still remaining, Percival smirked, “Well…I see we’ve had our first culling. Tomorrow we’ll have another one. By the time this workshop is finished, there will be just one or two of you at most—not a threat…” He flatly stated, “Simply a declaration of fact. I demand a lot and, frankly speaking, I don’t think most of you are ready or able to meet my standards. As for those who do stay the course—we’ll see.” Glancing at the clock on the wall, he then announced the group’s next project, “I want you to write about a situation in which your character is faced with a difficult choice. Let’s see whether you can write with heart or not. I’ll see some of you tomorrow.”

 

“So, we went from a workshop of fifteen to one of eight in five minutes.” Daria told Jane over phone as she related her first day at the writing workshop.

“Damn.” Jane exclaimed as she cradled the receiver on her shoulder while working on her canvas. “Sounds like the leader of the workshop’s a real hardass.”

“Yeah.” Daria agreed and then reluctantly admitted, “But he knows his stuff. He ripped my first submission to shreds—no one’s ever done that to me before.”

“What did he say?” Jane asked, her curiosity aroused.

“He said it didn’t have any soul or heart—that it was boring.”

“He really let you have it—didn’t he?” Jane remarked as she gave her own work an appraisal.

“Yeah…well….” Daria grumbled, “After I read it over after the workshop, I had to agree with him. It was boring. The only reason I’m in this damned workshop is because it’s either this or music camp. I didn’t give a shit what I wrote when I wrote it and he picked right up on it.”

“So, what are you going to do now?” 

“He wants a story based on making a tough choice…I’m going to give him one.” Daria responded as a slight grin crossed her face. “I’ll talk to you later, Jane.”

“Later, amiga.” Jane replied as a slight grin appeared on her face as well.

“What’s so funny, Jane?” Trent asked as he looked into his sister’s room.

“Oh…just enjoying a bit of irony.” Jane airily responded as she returned to her painting.

 

“How did your day go, Quinn?” Jake asked as his youngest daughter walked into the house. 

“Pretty good.” The young red-head responded in a chipper voice. “The Gupty kids were all right…although I had to change the record they were listening to…they kept on wanting to sing that horrible song Daria taught them.”

“Yeah…” Daria quipped, “Can’t have kids thinking for themselves.”

“That’s right.” Quinn agreed as her older sister rolled her eyes.

Quickly changing the subject, Jake asked his adopted daughter, “How was your day, Elizaveta?”

“Good.” The young blonde answered back. “We had a sale on graphic novels that kept us pretty busy.”

“More customers means more money.” Jake grinned as he turned to his oldest daughter, “What did you do today, kiddo?”

“Other than getting my short story shredded…” Daria responded, “…not much.”

“Shredded?” Jake exclaimed, “Your teacher didn’t like it?”

“He thought it was boring.” Daria replied.

“Well…duh!” Quinn snorted, “Look who wrote it.”

“At least I know how to form complex sentences.” Daria bit back, “And I can write about stuff other than greasy fries.”

“At least people liked my poem.” The red-head responded as Elizaveta rolled her eyes.

“Yeah…and their collective IQ equaled that of an artichoke.”

Ignoring her sisters’ bickering, Elizaveta made her way to the kitchen along with Jake and poured two glasses of iced tea. Handing one glass to her step-father, Elizaveta took the other as both sat down at the kitchen table.

“Thanks, kiddo.” Jake smiled as the pair ignored the increasingly rancorous bickering coming from the next room.

“Anytime, apa.” Elizaveta replied with a grin. “So…how was your day?”

“Not bad.” Jake responded with a broad smile, “I got Happy Herb to sign on, so that’ll bring in a bit more money.”

“That’s good.” Elizaveta nodded her head as the fighting in the next room continued. “Have you checked out the back yard yet?”

“Not yet.” Jake replied as they both heard Daria’s audible groan. “Wanna go and have a look?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta exclaimed and then both she and her step-father winced as they heard a loud yelp coming from Quinn. “Looks like their fight’s over.” Elizaveta remarked drolly as the pair exited the house through the kitchen door. Seeing Helen in the backyard, she called out, “Anya!”

“Hi sweetie! Hi Jakey!” An obviously very pleased Helen, standing next to the brand new outdoor bar, called back as she motioned her step-daughter and husband over to her. “The contractors are almost finished.” She said gleefully as she waved her arm in a sweeping motion, ‘The only big thing left is for them to finish with the hot tub.”

“All right!” Jake exclaimed as he gave his wife a suggestive leer, “Can’t wait to break it in.”

“Oh, Jake!” Helen sighed as Elizaveta quietly looked away. “What do you think, honey?” Helen asked as she addressed her step-daughter, “You like it?”

“Love it.” Elizaveta replied, “Me and Angie are planning on just lying back and soaking in the hot tub with ice cold lemonades when its ready.”

“Sounds like a good idea.” Helen grinned and then asked, “Where are Daria and Quinn.”

“Last we saw, they were having a conversation…” Elizaveta responded with a crooked grin.

“In other words, they were fighting.” Helen sighed as she shook her head, “Did they settle it or am I going to have to pull them apart?”

“I think it’s settled.” Elizaveta answered back, “Daria made her point.”

“I see.” The auburn-haired mother let out a breath of air as her cell phone rang. Picking up the phone, she answered, “Yes, Eric? Are you sure it can’t wait? The plaintiff just filed a motion to dismiss? Oh all right, I’ll be there.” Gritting her teeth, she apologized to Jake and Elizaveta, “I’m sorry, but I have to go to the office. The other team just filed an emergency motion and we have to act fast. Dinner’s in the oven…” She instructed as she kissed both her husband and step-daughter on the cheek, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Watching as his wife dashed back into the house, Jake shook his head as he spoke in a quiet voice to his step-daughter, “I wish she’d tell that boss of hers where to shove it.”

Considering her step-father’s words, Elizaveta responded in an equally soft voice, “I think the worst thing for her is to be stuck here all day. That would kill her faster than the job she has now.”

 

“Hey Stacy!” Quinn said as she spoke to her friend on the phone from the safety of her room, the sound of the latest ‘Boys are Guys’ album playing in the background, “I haven’t heard much from you or Tiffany since school ended. What are you two up to?”

“The summer drama club’s keeping us both busy.” Stacy replied as she lay on her bed with her favorite stuffed animals.

“Yeah.” Quinn groaned, “Babysitting’s keeping me busier than I thought it would. I can’t believe I’m actually looking forward to Sandi coming back so we can get the Fashion Club going again. I guess you and Tiff will be quitting drama club then?” She said leadingly.

“Ummm…” Stacy stammered as sweat began to appear on her brow, “…maybe not.”

“Oh?”

“Uhhh….” Stacy stuttered as she spun out her lie, “…. you see…our parents are wanting us to continue doing it in the fall.”

“How are you going to be able to fit in drama club and Fashion Club?” Quinn asked, “I mean…I don’t mind…but you know Sandi’s going to get upset. And aren’t you worried about losing popularity?

“We can fit it in.” Stacy responded as she felt her anxiety beginning to return, “And drama club’s got some popular people in it so we’re not going to lose any popularity for being in it.”

” Hmmm…” Quinn vocalized as she considered her friend’s words, “…maybe. And you’re right. There are some pretty popular people in drama club. Sandi might get a little upset at first because it wasn’t her idea, but I think in the end she’ll go with it…just let me do the talking when the time comes—okay?”

“Okay.” Stacy replied feeling a little bit better at having Quinn’s support. Then, barely repressing a yawn, she declared, “I’ve got to go now, it’s getting close to my bedtime.”

“Mine too.” Quinn answered back, “I’ll talk to you later. Bye!”

 

“That’s much better.” Elizaveta nodded her head in approval as she went over the equations she had assigned Brittany and Kevin as part of their tutorial homework. “Just remember to do everything one step at a time and don’t rush through it—just like learning a new play or a new cheer—right?”

“Hey…that’s right!” Kevin exclaimed, “You know, when you put it that way, it’s beginning to get a little easier. But I still confused at all the letters and little numbers over the big numbers.

“Think of them like they’re play diagrams.” Angie suggested, “Each letter or number stands for a position and the signs and exponents are like the coach’s signals.”

“Okay.” The quarterback nodded his head as comprehension slowly dawned, “It’s starting to make a little more sense now.”

“Good.” Elizaveta nodded her head, “You just have to keep repeating it just like you keep doing a play over and over again in scrimmage until you get it cold, then you bring it out on gameday.”

“Just like when we do a new cheer!” Brittany exclaimed with a broad grin on her face.

“That’s right, Britt.” Angie smiled back. “I think you two have got it. You should be able to pass DeMartino, O’Neill, and Bennett’s makeup exams now.”

“Cool!” Kevin grinned as he and Brittany got up from the floor. “Thanks, girls! You’re the greatest.”

“Thanks, Elizaveta…Angie…” Brittany smiled warmly as she hugged first the Hungarian cheerleader and then her best friend, “I really want to pull my grade up to a C- next year.”

“You can do it, Britt.” Angie smiled back as she returned her friend’s hug. “Now, you two get going. I wanna spend some private time with my girl.”

“Okay.” Kevin laughed good-naturedly, “Come on, Britt. Let’s go make out in the car.”

Watching as their two friends departed, Elizaveta turned to her girlfriend and asked in a husky voice, “So…what do you have in mind, szereto.”

“Take your clothes off and get on that bed, baby.” Angie replied in an equally sultry voice as she retrieved an object from her dresser drawer, “And I’ll show you.”

 

Maintaining a poker face as he read Daria’s essay during their private tutorial, Percival remarked in an only slightly sarcastic tone, “You might have some ability after all.”

“Well…gee thanks.” The auburn-haired teen responded, matching her tutor’s sarcasm.

“Interesting…your difficult choice was this or music camp.” The faintest traces of a grin appeared on the tutor’s face. “You do realize you don’t have to be here—don’t you? If you wanted to you could be…as you stated here…gorging on potato chips and soda while watching Sick Sad World reruns with your friend. I don’t care whether you show up here or not. I get paid the same whether that classroom is full or if I’m the only one here. So…why are you here when you don’t have to be?”

“Maybe I’m a masochist.” Daria flatly replied.

“Maybe.” Percival nodded his head, “Or maybe you think you might actually get something out of this—or maybe you just want to wipe that smug grin off my face.”

“Maybe.” Daria answered back with a slight grin of her own.

“Well…we’ll see whether you can do either of those things.” The writing teacher smirked, “Now…I want you to write a short story and I want to see you bring your characters to life. Let’s see if you can do that.”

 

Watching the news with her family in the living room, Daria felt her heart freeze as the blood rushed from her face and a cold chill ran up and down her spine.

A perky blonde anchor woman appeared on the television screen, _“This is Heather O’Toole for KSBC News and we have the latest on what has become a growing scandal: The arrest of Dr. James Calan. The State’s Attorney’s office has revealed that even more disturbing information has come out regarding the alleged activities of Dr. Calan.”_ The same prosecutor that had handled Dr. Shar’s prosecution appeared on the screen standing behind a podium with microphones.

“That’s Mr. Sullivan.” Elizaveta exclaimed. Then, seeing the ashen faces on both of her sisters, she inquired in a concerned voice, “Are you all right Daria? Quinn?”

“Uhhhh…” Daria stammered as she tried to regain control of her emotions, “Yeah…I’m fine. Just…”

“Yeah…” Quinn replied in a soft, shaken voice, “I’m…fine…I think.”

“Are you sure, girls?” Helen asked with a worried frown on her face, “Do you want us to change the channel.”

Closing her eyes and exhaling slowly, Daria responded in a soft voice, “No, Mom…I…for some reason, I think I need to see this.”

“Me too.” Quinn added in an equally quiet tone of voice.

“All right.” Helen replied, her face etched with concern for her daughters, “If you insist.”

_“Our investigations into Dr. Calan’s files, corroborated with testimony from witnesses currently in protection confirm an extensive long-term investigation the State’s Attorney’s office has been conducting regarding a sexual trafficking network that has international connections. The State’s Attorney’s office is cooperating with the FBI, the Justice Department, INTERPOL, and other state, federal, and international police and intelligence agencies in tracking down this network and bringing the perpetrators to justice. We suspect that more than a few missing teenage girls were unfortunately caught up in this network.”_

_“Mr. Sullivan? Howard Jenkins with the Lawndale Herald. Can you give us any information about these missing girls?”_

_“We’re still gathering evidence, but I can say that we think that most of the girls were either street kids or from poor environments…”_

“In other words.” Helen growled, “Children no one would miss.” She shook her head sadly, “Those poor girls would have just fallen through the bureaucratic cracks.”

“I could have been one of those girls if you hadn’t found me and took me in, anya…apa.” Elizaveta declared in a soft voice as tears began to roll down her eyes.

_“What led you to Dr. Calan?”_ The reporter asked, following up his question.

_“I’m sorry…”_ Mr. Sullivan replied, _“But I cannot answer that question at this time. You’ll get the opportunity to see and hear all the evidence at Dr. Calan’s upcoming trial. I’m sorry, but that’s all for today. Thank you.”_

“I heard from Eric that Calan’s got a high-powered attorney representing him.” Helen growled as the station returned to its regular programming.

“Wasn’t his assets frozen?” Jake inquired.

“Yeah.” Helen nodded her head, “He’s probably called in on favors from clients. I’m betting he’s also in solitary.”

“Yeah.” Daria grimly replied, “I’ve got a feeling some of his clients might figure the best way to cover themselves might be to shut him up permanently.”

“Well…at least you girls are safe.” Jake declared in a firm voice, “Me and your mom would never let anything like that happen to you.”

“That’s right.” Helen’s lips turned up in a smile as she regarded her two natural and one adopted daughter, “We love you.”

 

“Girls?” Helen called up to her daughters currently in the living room, “Could you come into the kitchen for a moment? Your father and I would like to talk to you.”

“What is it, Mom?” Daria asked as she and her younger sister entered the kitchen and sat down at the table.

“Could you like make this quick?” Quinn whined, “Next Year’s Model’s about to start.”

“It won’t take long.” Helen replied, “I’ve asked you here because…well…because Jake and I want to do something, but we’d like to have your approval before we do it.”

“You’re not planning on getting a divorce are you?” Daria deadpanned, “Because if you are, I want the television.”

“We’re not getting a divorce, kiddo.” Jake laughed, “But we are thinking about a new addition to the family.”

“Mom? Ewwww!” Quinn grimaced. “You’re not…”

“No!” Helen emphatically answered as she shook her head. “I’m not pregnant. What we want to do is formally adopt Elizaveta. You see…” She explained, “As long as she’s just our ward, the state can take her away from us any time it wants. But if we formally adopt her, she’s legally a member of our family.”

“What about her own family?” Daria inquired.

“We haven’t heard anything in nearly a year.” Helen responded, “And even inquiries with the Hungarian embassy have turned up nothing.” Shaking her head, the auburn haired lawyer said in a soft voice, “Whatever happened to her original family…now, we’re the only family she’s got.”

“Your mother’s right. She’s already a member of our family.” Jake interjected, “We just want to make it official so that no one can take her away from us.”

“So…girls…” Helen asked as her heart skipped a beat.

Daria and Quinn both glanced at each other and then nodded their heads, “Looks like we have another sister, Quinn.”

“Thanks, girls!” Helen smiled warmly at her daughters as she hugged them, “We’ll break the news to Elizaveta when she gets in from work.”

 

“Horseback riding tomorrow, baby?” Angie asked as she pulled up at the curb in front of the Morgendorffer house.

“I can’t wait, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she undid her lap belt.

“Great. Don’t worry about bringing a swimsuit. We’re gonna go to that little swimming hole I told you about.” Angie grinned, “It’s totally secluded so we can go skinny-dipping.” 

“Mmmm…. sounds good.” Elizaveta purred as she kissed her girlfriend as she exited the car. “Tomorrow, szereto.”

“See you tomorrow, lover!” Angie called back as she started her car. “Say hi to everyone for me.”

As she came through the front door, Elizaveta noticed the rest of her family gathered in the living rom. With a questioning look on her face, the young blonde inquired, “Is everything okay?”

“Couldn’t be better, kiddo!” Jake exclaimed with a wide grin on his face.

“Please, dearie…” Helen smiled warmly, “Have a seat. We want to propose something to you…and…we hope you like it…but the final decision’s yours.”

“All right.” Elizaveta, with a confused look on her face, replied as she sat down on one a comfortable arm chair. “I’m all ears.”

“We talked it over amongst ourselves and we’re all in agreement.” Helen declared, “Jake and I would like to adopt you as our daughter. We already consider you a part of our family. Now, we just want to make it official.”

“What do you say, kiddo?” Jake smiled, “Want to be a Morgendorffer?”

“Apa! Anya!” Elizaveta’s lips turned up in a wide grin as she leaped up from her seat and hugged both of her parents. “Nothing would make me happier.” She then added after some thought, “But…there’s something in the back of my mind that doesn’t want me to totally give up the Bathory name…”

“That’s no problem, sweetie.” Helen smiled warmly at her daughter. “We can just hyphenate your name.”

“It’ll be a mouthful.” Jake chuckled, “But it’s okay.”

“Thanks!” Elizaveta smiled as she wiped away the tears of joy appearing on her face, “You’ve made me so happy.”

“Welcome to the family, Sis.” Daria said as she gave her sister a tentative hug.

“Yeah, Sis.” Quinn added, giving Elizaveta a hug as well.

Wiping away tears of her own, Helen said in a warm and tender voice, “There’s some paperwork I need you to sign and then I’ll deliver it to the court on Monday. It’ll take some time to work through the system, but everything should be official by your seventeenth birthday.”

“Yeah.” Jake interjected, “Ummm…if you don’t mind…since we don’t know your real birthday, we were thinking about celebrating it on the day Helen found you…”

Tears of joy once more flowing down her cheeks, Elizaveta answered back with a tender smile, “I think that’s a perfect day.”

“Well…I don’t know about the rest of you all…” Jake exclaimed, “But I think we all deserve an evening out to celebrate.”

“Sounds like a great idea, Jake.” Helen responded as the phone rang. Sighing, the auburn haired lawyer gritted her teeth. “I hope that’s not Eric.” Picking up the phone, she steeled herself in anticipation for hearing the voice of her boss on the other end of the line. Instead, a look of pleased surprise appeared on her face. “Willow? Is that you? You are? Great! We’ll see you tomorrow! Yeah…we’ve got some big news too. We’ll tell you and Coyote tomorrow. Great…we’ll see you then.”

“Was that Willow?” Jake asked with a look of surprise on his face.

“Yeah.” Helen replied, “Her, Coyote, and Ethan are coming over for the weekend.”

“That’s great!” Jake responded as he turned to his girls, “Coyote and Willow are old friends of ours.”

“We used to live together in a commune before we were married.” Helen explained and then, exclaimed as she dashed to the kitchen, “Oh no…I’ve got to get everything ready!”

Curious, Daria and Elizaveta followed their mother into the kitchen. “What are you doing, anya?” Elizaveta asked as she saw Helen standing on a kitchen stool looking for something in the upper shelf.

“I’m going to make some bread.” Helen proclaimed as she took out a bread maker and set it on the kitchen counter.

“Isn’t that what supermarkets are for?” Daria quipped.

“I can’t serve the Yeagers store bought bread.” Helen responded with a sweet smile on her face, “They knew a different Helen. One famous for her oatmeal pumpkin seed loaf.”

“Well…we better let you get to it.” Daria replied, rolling her eyes as Elizaveta smiled back at her mother. “You coming, Elizaveta?”

“In a moment, Daria.” The young blonde replied, “I want to talk a bit with anya first.”

“Suit yourself.” Daria answered back with a shrug of her shoulders as she exited the kitchen.

After Daria had left the kitchen, Elizaveta gave Helen a look of concern, “Are you okay, anya? You look a little…”

“Preoccupied?” Helen chuckled as she sat down at the kitchen table with her daughter. “Yeah…I guess I am.. It’s been about twenty-five years since I’ve seen them and…well…back then they knew a different Helen.”

 

**_A Hippy Commune in 1972_ **

“The bread’s done.” Helen, her auburn hair straight and long and wearing bell-bottom jeans and a fringed leather vest over a handmade cotton blouse, announced as she carefully removed a loaf of oatmeal pumpkin seed bread from the wood stove oven.

“Salad’s about done too.” Willow replied as she tossed chopped and sliced vegetables into a wooden bowl already filled with lettuce. “Where are the men?”

“Where else?” Helen responded with a frown as she deliberately raised her voice, “They’re already at the table drinking that fruit juice.” She then raised her voice even louder, “We want some help and we want it now!”

“Sounds like the girls are getting liberated.” A younger Jake, the faintest wisp of a beard on his cheek and his hair longer, also attired with bell-bottomed jeans and a shirt, laughed, his laughter accompanied by the laughter of the other men at the table.

“Cool.” Coyote grinned as he passed a joint around.

 

**_The Present_ **

“The more things change…” Helen sighed.

“The more they remain the same.” Elizaveta completed with a crooked grin.

“But not completely.” Helen remarked with a frown as she got up and put on a pot of coffee. “Twenty-five years is a long time. I’ve changed…Jake’s changed. I wonder how much Willow and Coyote have changed…will we still have anything in common after all this time?”

“I guess the only way to find out...” Elizaveta replied as she took the mug of coffee her mother offered her, “Is to wait and see.”

“Yeah…” Helen nodded her head in agreement, “I suppose you’re right. So…” She asked, her lips turned up in a smile as she changed the subject, “Are you and Angie still planning on going out riding tomorrow?”

Elizaveta nodded her head, “Yeah. Angie’s taking me to a little swimming hole that’s out of the way…no one knows about it but her and the Barrows. We’re gonna swim and lay out in the sun a bit…”

“Skinny-dipping, huh?” Helen chuckled as she saw the look of surprise on her blonde daughter’s face, “I was young once, you know. Just be sure you really are alone…okay.”

“Okay, anya.” Elizaveta grinned as she finished her coffee and stood up. “I’ll take care of the coffee while you check on the bread.”

“All right.” Helen laughed and then barely repressed a yawn. “I think I’m going to turn in early tonight. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.”

 

“Hey, szereto.” Elizaveta exclaimed as she greeted her girlfriend at the door with a kiss. “I’m sorry, you just missed breakfast.”

“That’s okay, baby.” Angie smiled as she returned her lover’s kiss. “I ate at home. I also packed us a lunch. I know how much you like egg salad, so I made that and a thermos of limeade.”

“Hmmm…sounds good.” Elizaveta replied as a classic Volkswagen Beetle parked at the curb, the driver honking his horn as he cut off the engine.

“Talk about your oldies but goodies.” Angie chuckled as she noticed the car and its occupants, the man and woman like they had just come from the sixties, accompanied by a teenage boy wearing jeans and a t-shirt and a dog with a red bandana around its neck. “Who are the refugees from Woodstock?” The platinum-blonde teenager quipped to her girlfriend.

“Those must be the Yeagers.” Elizaveta answered back, “Old friends of anya and apa.” The young Hungarian then called back, “Anya…Apa…your friends are here.”

“Thanks, Sweetie.” Helen responded as she, Jake, Daria, and Quinn all came out of the front door to meet their guests. “Willow! Coyote!” Helen called out to her old friends.

“Helen!” Willow responded as Coyote called out to Jake.

“Man!”

“My man!” Jake responded with a big grin on his face.

Noticing the dog, Helen remarked with a wink, “Why even Leary looks the same.”

“Come here, boy!” Jake called out to the dog, “Don’t you remember old Jake.”

“Come on, Jake.” Helen laughed good-naturedly, “You know that can’t be Leary. He’d be over thirty years old now.”

“Actually, he’s Leary number three.” Willow explained with a chuckle.

“Yeah.” Coyote grinned, “We had to replace the original a couple of times.”

“Too bad we can’t do that with Timothy Leary.” Jake chuckled.

“They’re working on it.” Coyote joked back.

“Here are our irreplaceable daughters.” Helen smiled as she introduced the girls, “Daria, Quinn, and the newest addition to our family, Elizaveta…” She then presented Elizaveta’s companion, “And this is Angie, Elizaveta’s girlfriend.”

Willow first clasped Daria’s hand and stated in a low voice, “You have an old soul.”

“It just looks mature for its age.” Daria quipped as Willow then turned first to Angie and then Elizaveta, taking both girls by the hand.

“The stars will call out to you one day.” Willow told Angie with a sad smile, “When they do, don’t be afraid to go to them. Do not worry about her. She will be happy and will approve and understand.” She then turned to Elizaveta, her voice laden with compassion and warmth as she spoke, “You have given your friends the time they need to stop the transition and save us all. When it is time, you will remember those you forgot and they will take you home, child of the stars. You will also remember those you leave behind. Remember always that you fight to preserve life. Live, embrace the universe, drink Kristal champagne, dance, and love. That is the greatest gift you can give Jadzia, Nyota, Manuele, and all the others you lost.”

“What?” Elizaveta and Angie both exclaimed at the same time as the others looked on with looks of astonishment on their faces.

“What do you know about Jadzia?” Elizaveta asked, “Please…I keep seeing her face in my dreams…”

“She loved you.” Willow smiled warmly at the young blonde. “You were her best friend and she misses you. She’s worried about Ezri and Julian though. Julian is in a very dark place now and Ezri is worried about him. Jadzia wants you to try to look after them when you return home.”

“What do you mean ‘return home’, Willow?” Helen demanded. “This is Elizaveta’s home now.”

“Yes…” Willow nodded her head knowingly, “It is.” She then smiled at her old friend and the young couple, “When it is time, you will all understand. Until then, enjoy being with each other and know that even though love might change with time, it is always with you.”

“What do you mean, Willow?” Helen, confused and concerned at both her friend’s words and her daughter’s reactions, inquired.

“It’s not time yet, Helen. When it is, you will know. But don’t cry…it will be a time of joy.” Willow answered back as she gave Elizaveta and Angie another smile. “Enjoy your time together.”

“C’mon, baby.” A flustered Angie whispered as she gently urged a shaken Elizaveta to her car, “We need to get going if we’re going to make it to the swimming hole by lunch.”

“I’ll see you later, anya…apa…” Elizaveta called out to her parents, then seeing the look of worry on her mother’s face, rushed up and hugged her, “It’s okay, anya…” She lowered her voice as she whispered in her mother’s ear in an effort to calm not only her mother’s worries, but her own as well, “I’m sure Willow just had a little too much of something to smoke…if you know what I mean.”

Her lips turning up in a slight grin, Helen responded, her voice also a whisper as she also attempted to put on a brave front, “You’re probably right, sweetie. You two have fun.”

 

“Are you okay, baby?” Angie asked, her voice edged with worry, as they got out of her car at the stables. “You didn’t talk very much on the way over.”

“I’m okay.” Elizaveta smiled back at her girlfriend and then sighed, “I guess I’m still a little shaken up by what Willow told us.”

“Probably the product of juiced up weed.” Angie chuckled. Then her laughter fading, she also let out a sigh, “I have to admit though…I can’t help but wondering what she meant when she told me that one day the stars would call out to me and to not be afraid to answer them and that she’d understand.”

“Maybe she thinks you should write science fiction.” Elizaveta suggested with a laugh as the pair made their way to the stables on foot.

“I don’t think so.” Angie shook her head. “I’m not cut out to be writer anyway.” She said in an effort to bring the conversation to more mundane matters, “My intentions are to go on and get my BA and then my MA and probably teach…I might go for my Ph.D. in history or literature…depends on how well I do in college…but I’m not really planning on going that far. Knowing my luck, I’ll be teaching English or history at Lawndale High and assisting with the cheerleaders. Although…” she remarked in a pensive voice, “…I wouldn’t mind counseling gay, lesbian, and bi students. It’s not easy being gay and a teenager…especially if you’re alone.”

“Yeah…” Elizaveta nodded her head, “I was thinking about going into astronomy or physics myself in college—maybe engineering.” She then shook her head, “How did she know about Jadzia though? And who are Ezri and Julian? She seems to think I know them well…but I can’t remember them. And Nyota…Manuele? I can see shadows sometimes…but no faces.”

“Like I said…” Angie grinned, “Too much special stuff in the weed. Don’t worry about it, baby.” The platinum-blonde girl consoled as she hugged her lover close to her, “The future will take care of itself and I’ll be beside you every step of the way. I love you…don’t you ever forget that.”

Hugging her girlfriend back, Elizaveta smiled, “I know. I love you too. And neither one of us is going anywhere in the near future.” She then quipped, “And yeah…too much patchouli for Willow.”

“Hey, girls! Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

Turning in the direction of the male approaching them, both girls grinned, “Hey, Danny.” Angie replied, “No…you’re not interrupting anything. We just had a close encounter of the weird kind with one of Elizaveta’s parents’ old hippie friends.”

“Well…if you want…you can tell me all about it while we saddle up.” Danny Jr. proposed as he joined the girls.

“Sounds good.” Elizaveta answered back as the threesome made their way to the stables.

As the girls recounted their conversation with the hippy woman while they walked, Danny quietly listened. Then after they’d finished, Angie queried with a chuckle, “So…what do you think, Danny? Too much weed?”

“Probably.” Danny chuckled for a bit and then, his laughter fading, added in a more serious tone of voice, “But I wouldn’t totally discount what she was saying.” Chuckling again as he saw the incredulous looks on his companions’ faces, the young army officer explained, “Oh…no question she was probably tokin’ a bit…but…” his laughter once again faded, “…some sort of trauma might well have caused your amnesia, Elizaveta. She might have picked up on that through a lucky guess.”

“Maybe.” Elizaveta nodded her head as she considered the young man’s suggestions.

“Dad might be able to help you out if you want.” Danny proposed. “He saw and went through quite a bit while he was in Vietnam and he’s helped other vets deal with their issues. He’s even helped a few Russian veterans deal with what they saw and all while serving in Afghanistan. At least think about it.”

“It couldn’t hurt, baby.” Angie said, adding her voice to Danny’s plea.

Nodding her head, Elizaveta considered their new friend’s words, “Hmmm…it couldn’t hurt…and maybe it might lead me to a few answers.”

“Great!” Danny exclaimed as a crooked grin appeared on his face as he deliberately lightened the tone of the conversation, “So…you two planning on spending the afternoon at the swimming hole?”

“Yeah.” Angie replied with a crooked grin of her own, “And sorry, but no…. you’re not invited. Girls day only”

“That’s ok.” Danny chuckled, “Monica’s joining me and we’re going to take the forest trail. We kinda have plans of our own.”

Laughing, Angie joked back, “Well, you two have fun doing what we’re going to be doing.” Smiling at her girlfriend, she suggested, “Let’s get saddled up…I’m ready to head out.”

 

Back at the Morgendorffer house, the Yeagers were settling in as Helen noticed that her youngest daughter was spending quite a bit of time with the Yeager boy. Her lips turned up in a mischievous smile, Helen inquired in a teasing manner, “Don’t you have a date tonight, Quinn?”

“Stacy’s filling in for me.” Quinn responded in an innocent voice as she smiled at the boy sitting next to her.

“So…what have you two been doing all these years?” Helen asked her old friends.

“We’ve been selling hammocks made out of hemp for the past twelve years or so.” Coyote responded.

“Yeah.” Willow nodded her head, “And with recent developments in hemp processing, we’re looking at a massive increase in sales.”

“That’s great.” Jake exclaimed. Turning to Ethan, he asked good-naturedly, “You into sports, Ethan?” Hearing no response from the teen, he repeated, “Ethan?”

“He doesn’t participate in sports.” Willow interjected piously, “We think there’s enough aggressive behavior on this planet without his contributing to it.”

“He’s going to go into rock climbing when he’s ready.” Coyote declared as he smiled at his son.

“Yeah.” Ethan murmured in a bored voice, “Whatever.” Then, seeing the peas, shoveled some on to his plate.

“Hmmm…” Willow smiled, “You can always tell when bread has been hand-kneaded. Store bought bread has no heart or soul.”

“I can’t stand all this veggie crap.” Jake remarked, “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I want a burger.” Seeing the shocked looks on the Yeagers’ faces and the look of disapproval from his wife, Jake grunted, “Hey…it’s the circle of life.”

“You know…you’ve become more aggressive, Jake.” Coyote noted disapprovingly.

“No, I haven’t.” Jake vehemently denied.

“It’s the meat.” Willow declared sanctimoniously.

“No it isn’t!” Jake responded as Helen sighed inwardly, inwardly understanding, while outwardly denying the fact that she and her husband had changed while their friends had seemingly remained stuck in time.

 

“Why can’t it be like this forever?” A very content and naked Elizaveta remarked as she lay next to her girlfriend, also naked and serene, both girls recovering from a bout of passionate lovemaking following their swim.

Leaning over and kissing her girlfriend on her lips, Angie replied in a soft voice, “I wish it could.” She then looked up at the clouds. You see that one…it looks like a bird…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back, “It does.” Her lips then turned up in a sly grin, “So, we still on for the flea market tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” Angie then added, “Stacy called last night and asked if she could join us. I told her I’d ask you first, but I didn’t have a problem with it if you didn’t.”

“Sure.” Elizaveta agreed. “Tell her she’s welcome to join us.”

“Great.” Angie smiled, “I think she’s looking for new ideas for costuming—sounds like she’s really getting into drama club.”

“Tiffany too.” Elizaveta remarked. “I don’t think Quinn’s too pleased by it.”

“Oh?” Angie exclaimed, “What did the princess say?”

“Oh, she didn’t come out and say that she didn’t like it.” Elizaveta explained, “But I think she’s a little worried that they might be drifting away from the Fashion Club.”

“In other words learning how to think for themselves.” Angie laughed.

Joining her girlfriend in laughter, Elizaveta postulated after her laughter faded away, “While I think that’s part of it, I think Quinn’s also afraid of being alone.” She further explained, “Quinn’s not that close with Tiffany, but she considers Stacy a close friend—her best friend. You know what that’s like.”

“Yeah.” Angie sighed, “Sounds like me and Brittany. You know how protective I am of her.”

“Right. Quinn’s the same way with Stacy.” Elizaveta replied, “She doesn’t want to see her hurt.”

“The problem is…if she tries too hard to keep her close, she’ll smother her.” Angie noted, “I don’t like to see Brittany do some of the stupid stuff she sometimes does, but I realize that I’ve got to let her make her own decisions.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “Sooner or later we’ve all got to make difficult decisions and hard choices and those decisions have to be ours…no one else can make them for us.”

Remembering Willow’s words, Angie’s lips turned up in a winsome smile, “Like not being afraid to answer the call of the stars…whatever that means.”

“Exactly.” Elizaveta smiled at her girlfriend as she got up and straddled her, “So szereto…this star’s calling out to you now. Ready for round two?”

“Don’t you ever get enough?” Angie answered back with a teasing laugh.

“Never.” Elizaveta responded.

“Mmmm…Don’t ever change, baby.” Angie purred as she held out her arms and embraced her lover, “Now…come to momma.”

 

“Don’t eat any of your mom’s friend’s brownies and I’ll see you tomorrow, baby.” Angie joked as she gave her lover a kiss on the lips in front of the Morgendorffer house. 

“Bye, szereto.” Elizaveta smiled back and returned her girlfriend’s kiss. Entering her home, she went into the kitchen where she saw her mother seated at the table with a glass of wine in front of her. “Is everything okay, anya?”

“Yeah, sweetie.” Helen replied, her lips turning up in a warm smile as she regarded her daughter. “You and Angie have a good time riding?”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta smiled back, “Mind if I join you?”

“Go ahead.” Helen grinned, “Grab yourself a glass and little bit of wine if you want.”

“Thanks.” The young blonde responded as she took a glass, filling it a quarter full with chilled white wine. Joining her mother at the table, she asked, “So where are your friends?”

“They’re out back with Jake.” The auburn-haired lawyer sighed.

“What’s wrong, anya? Elizaveta asked as she took a sip of her wine.

“Just remembering a conversation we all had earlier today.” Helen responded with a sigh. “Willow and Coyote were talking about how, after Jake and I got married and left the commune, they painted a bus and drove out into the desert.”

Elizaveta flatly stated, “They cut and ran while you and apa took on responsibilities.”

“That’s how I would like to see it.” Helen replied with an ironic grin, “The way they see it though…we sold out to a superficial profit driven culture.” 

“What do you think?” Elizaveta queried.

“Jake and I had to make some compromises with our values.” Helen confessed, “But…we didn’t have any choice. Jake worked his ass off so that I could go to law school and then we both worked to pay off my student loans and then later…well…Daria came along and shortly after her, Quinn. All of a sudden, we found ourselves with a family to support, a mortgage and bills to pay…”

“In other words.” Elizaveta smiled warmly at her mother, “…a life to live. While Willow and Coyote have never really grown up.”

“I guess that’s true.” Helen chuckled as she took a sip of her wine. “But…you know…there’s a lot to be said for being true to yourself.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement and then gently countered, “But…what sort of environment would it be like if you had to raise Daria and Quinn in a commune in the desert? They wouldn’t have anyone to talk to or be with other than you, apa, and the others in the commune. They’d miss out a lot on what the world has to offer and what about their education?”

“I see what you mean.” Helen sighed, “And you’re right. It wouldn’t have been fair for Daria and Quinn.” She then chuckled, “You know…Daria called and asked if she could stay at Jane’s. I said it was okay…that it would free up her room for Coyote and Willow…and she advised me to tether them to the bed so that they don’t float away.”

Laughing with her mother, Elizaveta quipped, “And maybe turn up the air conditioning and filtration system in the room so that it doesn’t smell too much like Woodstock.”

“Thankfully they’ve been considerate about that at least.” Helen shook her head, “You know, every time Coyote reaches into his pocket, my heart skips a beat because I’m afraid he’s going to pull out a joint and light it up.”

Laughing, Elizaveta joked back, “Yeah…that’s just what we need for those two to be getting high right when the Police Benevolent Association shows up for it’s fund raiser.” Then, finishing her wine, she got up from her seat and hugged her mother, “Are you going to be okay, anya?”

“Yeah.” Helen smiled warmly at the young blonde, “I’m feeling better now, thanks. I think I’ll go and collect Jake and get ready for bed.”

“Me too.” Elizaveta replied, “Angie’s coming over tomorrow and we’re planning on spending the day together.”

“Riding again?” Helen asked as she bussed the table.

“No.” Elizaveta smiled, “We’re going to check out the flea market with Stacy.”

“Sounds like a good time.” Helen remarked and then kissed her daughter good night, “Good night, sweetie.”

 

“That’s Angie, I’ll get it!” Elizaveta called out as she rushed to the door. Opening it, she grinned as she saw her girlfriend and gave her a kiss, “Morning, szereto.”

“Morning, baby.” Angie replied as she returned her lover’s kiss, “Ready?”

“Yep.” Elizaveta answered back as she glanced back to make sure no one was listening. “Apa said he was growing a beard again.”

Chuckling, Angie responded, “You can tell me all about it on our way to Stacy’s. C’mon…I wanna check out the used books.”

“Let’s go.”

Arriving at the flea market with Stacy, the young brunette smiled broadly as she noticed a stall where an older woman was selling vintage clothing. “Can we check that place out?” She asked as she pointed at the stall. 

“Sure.” Elizaveta grinned as Angie nodded her head in agreement.

“Good idea. There might be something we can wear.” 

As they approached the stall, the elderly woman smiled kindly at the three girls. “Come on in and take a look.” She said in a welcoming voice, “If you need any help, just let me know.”

Pulling out a 1950s era dress, Stacy exclaimed in an excited voice, “This is exactly what I’m looking for! The drama club’s planning on putting on ‘Death of a Salesman’ this fall and this dress will help me design the women’s costumes.”

“Hey baby!” Angie called out as she held a gold lame mini-dress against herself, “What do you think? Is it me?”

“Oh, it’s you, szereto.” Elizaveta grinned as she held out a mini-dress of her own, this one with a turquoise hue. “You like?”

“Love it.” Angie smiled broadly as the three girls took their dresses to the old lady and paid for them. “Let’s see what else we can find.” She suggested as the trio left the clothing stall and began walking through the outdoor market, browsing the various shops and stalls. Then, coming up on Daria and Jane standing behind a table holding boxes of vinyl records they approached.

“Hey Daria…Jane…anya said you’d be here, but I didn’t think you’d be here as a seller.” Elizaveta called out as she, Angie, and Stacy approached.

“We’re helping my brother.” Jane replied, “He finally decided to sell his old records.”

“What’s he selling?” Angie asked as she began to peruse the albums, “Hmmm…he’s got some classics here.” Then, spotting the Moody Blues _Nights in White Satin_ album, she called out enthusiastically, “Baby! Come take a look! Moody Blues!” Taking the album out of its slip case, she carefully examined it. “Your brother took good care of it.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader noted. Then, carefully putting the record back, she opened her purse, “Two dollars?”

“Seven fifty.” Jane countered with a grin.

“Four dollars.” Angie countered, “Final offer. I can get the same album at a used record shop for just about that.”

“Done.” Jane agreed as she took the money and then handed the album to the cheerleader. “Pleasure doing business with you.”

“Thanks.” Angie grinned as she turned to her lover and whispered in her ear, “We’re listening to this tonight. Guaranteed this will get us in the mood.”

“As if we need anything.” Elizaveta joked back with a leer.

“You two get outta here and find yourselves a room.” Daria jibed as Trent and Jesse approached.

“Hey girls.” Trent called out as Jesse muttered a simple, “Hey.”

“Hey, Bro.” Jane responded as a red-faced Daria murmured a shy “Hello.” Gesturing towards the Barbies, the dark-haired artist grinned, “We made our first sale.”

“I bought your Moody Blues album.” Angie smirked, “I’m surprised you’re letting that one go.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Trent replied, “The band needs the bread and I don’t listen to it anyway.”

“They’re one of my favorite groups.” The platinum-blonde cheerleader stated, “I just love how they fuse rock, jazz, and classical together.”

“Then you’ll love Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.” Trent said as he picked out one of that group’s albums. “Here…on the house.”

“Thanks.” Angie grinned as she turned to her girlfriend, “Wanna listen to it when we get home?”

“Sounds like a good idea, szereto.” Elizaveta’s lips then turned up in a wicked grin as she regarded her sister, doing her best to stay unnoticed in the background. “What do you think, Daria?” She teased as she glanced first at her sister, then at Trent, “Maybe you could ask Angie if you could borrow it sometime to listen to it with someone…”

“Dismember you slowly and feed your parts to the wild dogs, Sis.” Daria muttered under her breath as Elizaveta, Angie, and Jane all chuckled while Trent remained with an apparently clueless look on his face.

“Come on, baby.” Angie laughed as she touched her girlfriend’s arm, “Let’s see what else we can find. Ready to go, Stacy?”

“Yeah.” The young teen, who had been quietly browsing the record albums as she tried to hold back her laughter replied. “I spotted a stall selling fabric I’d like to check out if that’s okay with you.”

“Sure thing.” Elizaveta responded, “Let’s go.” She then waved at her sister and the others, “See you later—have fun!”

 

“Mmmm…. I had fun.” Angie growled in a sultry voice as she kissed her girlfriend in front of the Morgendorffer house. “That album sure did put us in the mood, didn’t it?”

“Mmmm…yes.” Elizaveta purred in response as she nuzzled up next to her lover. “And real white satin sheets…”

“Nothing but the best for my baby.” Angie replied as she nibbled Elizaveta’s ear. “So…” She asked as the pair reluctantly broke from their embrace and began to make their way to the front door holding each other’s hands, “What are you doing today?”

“The Yeagers are leaving, so I guess saying goodbyes and cleaning up.” Elizaveta sighed, “This weekend’s been kind of a circus for anya and apa…”

“Not to mention your sister and Jane.” Angie laughed, “I can’t believe they trusted Upchuck to watch their booth.”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta chuckled, “Not the brightest of moves…but I don’t think they really cared that much.”

“Shame.” Angie sighed, “Trent had some good tunes. I wish I’d bought more. You know…” She remarked as the pair paused in front of the front door, not knowing that there conversation was being overheard by both Willow and Helen who were at that time having their own conversation while the men loaded the luggage into the VW for the ride back home. “I’ve always considered the sixties something of a mixed bag. There was a lot of good stuff: the music, the fashions, some good TV shows and movies, landing on the moon…and yeah…some very important issues were raised like racism, sexism, nuclear weapons, the environment, speaking out against the war in Vietnam and all, but there was a lot of bad stuff too…”

“Yeah.” Elizaveta nodded her head in agreement, “Like the riots and terror groups such as Black September, the Weather Underground, Baader-Meinhof, the Red Army Faction…a lot of innocent people got killed.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head in agreement, “And a lot of historical documents got destroyed during the Paris student riots.”

“I guess we did leave our children a mixed legacy.” Helen whispered to her friend as they quietly listened to the girls’ conversation.

“Yeah…but we did some good too.” Willow responded with a sweet smile, “We wanted to make the world a better place—there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

“No…not at all.” A sad smile came to Helen’s face as she nodded in agreement. “We didn’t totally succeed and we got sidetracked along the way, but I think we made a difference.”

“Yes…we did.” Willow agreed with a grin.

“So…what are your and Coyote’s plans now, Willow?” Helen inquired.

“We’re going to stick with our business.” The former hippy replied, “It’s bringing in a good income…although…” her lips turned up in a slight grin, “…I think it’s time we left the sixties. Going to the store to buy bread and giving Ethan a chance to broaden his social horizons and maybe even letting Coyote play a little golf isn’t such a bad thing…is it?”

“Not at all.” Helen chuckled, “You might even want to think about maybe selling your stuff online…Jake was telling me about that company that only sells books online now. He said that he’d read in a business magazine that they were thinking about branching out into other products.”

“Maybe…” Willow nodded her head as she gave her friend’s suggestion serious thought. She then inquired, “So…what are you going to do now?” 

“Stay on with the firm.” Helen answered back, “I want to make partner if for no other reason than just to throw it in Eric’s and those other fossil’s faces.”

“Just don’t lose yourself along the way, Helen.” Willow cautioned as she placed a gentle hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Glancing first at Angie and Elizaveta and then at Daria and Quinn, Helen replied with a gentle laugh, “I don’t think my girls will let me.”

“Take care of her.” Willow pleaded as she glanced at Elizaveta, “I could tell the moment I read her aura that she’s special. Ghosts that she has forgotten for now still haunt her. Be there for her when they surface.”

“You know I will.” Helen declared, “Just as I will be for all my girls.”

“I’m glad.” Willow replied with a sad smile, “And…when it is time…know that she’ll always remember and love you and you’ll always remember and love her.” The former hippy then gestured towards the VW where Coyote and Jake were standing after having loaded it. “I guess it’s time for us to go now.” She then gave her old friend a kiss on the cheek, “You all come and see us sometime.”

“We will.” Helen replied as the pair, entering the house, made their way to the kitchen. Picking up her bread maker, she handed it to her friend, “Here…take it…I never use it.”

“Thanks.” Willow smiled back, “This will cut down on the time I spend baking for Ethan and Coyote.”

“Sister.” Helen laughed as she opened the freezer, “Meet the frozen bagel.”

Laughing, the women exited the house and joined the others at the VW. 

“Take care, Willow…Coyote!” Helen exclaimed as she hugged her friends.

“Take it easy, my man!” Jake smiled as he shook his old friend’s hand. “And you too, Willow.” He added as he gave his other friend a hug and kiss on the cheek.

“You guys keep it real.” Coyote grinned as Ethan put Leary in the car and then joined the dog in the back seat.

“Love you.” Willow smiled as she kissed her friends goodbye. Then, once again smiling at Helen repeated her plea from earlier as she glanced in the direction of Elizaveta and Angie, “Be there when she needs you, Helen…and don’t be afraid for either of them…they’re going to touch the stars.”

Waving goodbye as their friends sped away, Jake turned towards his wife, “What was that all about, Helen?”

Smiling at her third daughter, the auburn-haired mother replied, “I guess we’ll know when the time comes, Jake.”

Laughing as she pointed at all the male dogs chasing the VW, Angie quipped to her girlfriend, “I wonder if they’ll ever tumble on to the fact that Leary’s a she…”

“What do you mean?” Quinn asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Angie’s laughter grew louder as first Elizaveta and Daria, and then Helen and Jake joined in, “That dog’s in heat!”

 

“There might be some potential within you after all, Ms. Morgendorffer.” Percival admitted to his sole remaining student, a sarcastic grin on his face, as the pair sat in the now empty classroom. 

“Gee thanks.” Daria responded with equal sarcasm as she read the writing instructor’s comments. “Might be worth submitting to publication in a minor journal or newspaper…”

“I would suggest that rag of a local paper you have here.” The writing instructor advised. “It might accept your work as part of a Sunday creative supplement—that is if they’ve got nothing better to run. Still…” he added in a note of what almost sounded like encouragement, “…it will get your foot in the door and a publication credit.”

“I will.” The auburn-haired teen responded as she got up from her chair. “I guess that means the workshop’s over.”

“It is.” Percival replied, “If nothing else, you’ve proven to me that you do have a measure of talent and enough stubbornness to make a go of it in this profession. Whether you decide to continue or not is strictly up to you. My work here is done.” He then gave the young woman a look of what almost looked like approval, “Your performance in this class was…acceptable. Good luck in your future endeavors.”

 

“Thanks, Mr. Hotchkiss.” Elizaveta grinned as her eyes fell on the dollar amount on her paycheck.

“Don’t mention it.” The bookstore owner smiled back, “You and the others earned it. I know you’ve all given up the last few weekends helping with the increased demand we’ve had recently, so I thought you earned a little bonus as spending money for your weekend off.”

“Weekend off?” Christie exclaimed with a pleased look on her face.

“Yeah.” The bookstore owner chuckled, “I’ve got to go out of state to a bookseller’s convention this weekend, so I figured that would be a good time to have the store remodeled by professionals. So…what’s everybody’s plans?”

“I’m going to be hitting the books.” Christie frowned, “Summer finals are coming up.”

“I’m not sure.” Elizaveta replied, “But I’m sure my girlfriend and I’ll come up with something to do.”

“Yeah.” Jeffrey, another worker at the store jibed with a friendly grin, “Most likely each other.”

“You just wish you were getting some.” Christie joked back.

“What happened with you and Sylvie?” Elizaveta asked.

“Nothing.” Jeffrey answered back, “She’s just going out of town for a couple of weeks. I’m soloing it until she returns.”

“Try to stay out of trouble.” Elizaveta smirked as she spotted her girlfriend walking in the store. “Time for me to go.”

“Hey, baby.” Angie grinned as she approached her lover and gave her a quick kiss, “Ready?”

“Yeah, szereto.” Elizaveta responded as she returned her girlfriend’s kiss, “Let’s go.” Turning back to her fellow employees and the store owner, she waved, “See you all later!”

“Take it easy girls!” Mr. Hotchkiss waved back, “See you tomorrow, Elizaveta.”

 

“So…” Helen inquired as the family gathered together at the dinner table, “How was everyone’s day?”

“Okay.” Quinn remarked noncommittally. “I babysat the Davidson kids and then me and Stacy went to the mall.” She then sighed, “I can’t wait for Sandi to get back, I miss our Fashion Club meetings.”

“Don’t you still get to see your other friends, Quinn?” Jake queried.

“It’s not the same.” Quinn responded in an exasperated voice, “All they want to talk about is what they did at drama club.”

“Danger…Danger!” Daria deadpanned, “Stacy and Tiffany are developing their own interests.”

“Yeah…” Quinn sighed, “It’s frightening! What if they decide that popularity and fashion aren’t important? We might have to set up a Fashion Intervention when Sandi gets back.”

Shaking her head at her youngest daughter’s words, Helen turned to Elizaveta, “How was your day, dearie?”

“Pretty good.” Elizaveta smiled, “Today was payday and Mr. Hotchkiss gave us all the weekend off.”

“Oh?” Jake exclaimed, “He’s closing the store for an entire weekend? I hope nothing’s wrong.”

“Oh no.” Elizaveta shook her head, “He’s going to a bookseller’s convention in Cleveland and decided that would be a good time to have the store remodeled, so he gave us the weekend off.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head and then addressed her other daughter, “So, Daria…today was the last day of your workshop…”

“I’ve submitted a short story to the creative section of the newspaper.” Daria declared in answer to her mother’s not so subtle probing. “They said they’d consider it for the fall edition.”

“That’s terrific!” Helen praised as Jake chimed in with a hearty, “That’s my girl!”

“Way to go, Daria!” Elizaveta grinned at her sibling.

“Yeah, Daria.” Quinn agreed, adding her praises to those of the rest of the family, “You did it.”

Seemingly ignoring her family’s praises, Daria instead looked her mother in the eyes, “I delivered on my end of the deal.”

“So you did.” Helen sighed, her face one of disappointment as it seemed that once again she failed to reach her daughter. “I’d hoped you might have been inspired to go on rather than just spending the rest of the summer goofing off, but…you did honor the terms of our agreement. So…you can do what you want for the rest of the summer and if that means lying about all day watching that stupid show on the television…you can do that.”

Feeling a twinge of guilt as her eyes took in the reactions of the rest of the members of her family, the auburn-haired misanthrope took a deep breath and exhaled, “I guess I can always write a sequel…if I’m not disturbed…”

Her lips turning up in a slight smile, Helen, deciding to let the matter drop, changed the subject, “Jake and I were thinking this weekend we could all go to the beach—make it a family outing.”

“Could Angie come along?” Elizaveta asked.

“I don’t see why not—if her mother doesn’t mind.” Helen responded, “We’ll be taking both cars, so we’ve got room where each of you could invite one friend to come along with you.”

“Can I ask both Tiffany and Stacy to join me?” Quinn pleaded, “I don’t want the other one to feel left out…”

“I don’t think we’re going to have the room sweetie.” Helen replied, shaking her head, “If Angie comes along and Jane goes with Daria…”

“I can ride with Angie.” Elizaveta volunteered, explaining, “We were planning on asking you and her mother whether we could go to the beach anyway, so this works out perfect for us.”

“That would work.” Helen nodded her head in agreement and then gave Quinn her permission, “All right, you can invite both Tiffany and Stacy.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Quinn exclaimed and then, leaning over, whispered to Elizaveta, “Thanks Sis, I owe you and Angie.”

“All right!” Jake declared with a big grin on his face, “The Morgendorffers are going to the beach!”

“Look out sharks.” Daria deadpanned in response, a slight grin appearing on her face.

 

“Why am I going to the beach again?” Jane asked with a scowl as she attacked her canvas with paint and brush.

“You’re going because it will give you an opportunity to make fun of fat middle-aged men wearing speedos and fat middle-aged women who still think they can fit into a bikini.” Daria responded with a flat voice.

“And this is worth me risking sunburn?”

“That and the high probability of my parents and Quinn making fools out of themselves.” Daria added.

“There is that.” Jane replied as she set down her brush. “And it would get me away from the house—the Spiral have been practicing here more since they got kicked out of Jesse’s building. All right…you talked me into it, Morgendorffer.”

‘Thanks for inviting me, Quinn!” Stacy exclaimed in a joyful tone as she talked to her friend on the phone, “I don’t think my mom will mind I think it’s great you’re able to invite Tiffany along too. We’re going to have so much fun!”

“I know!” Quinn answered back, “All we need is Sandi and we could have a Fashion Club weekend.”

“Yeah.” Stacy answered back, her voice tone losing some of its earlier enthusiasm, “Sandi would have made it complete.”

“Well…I’ll see you Saturday morning.” Quinn responded, apparently not noticing her friend’s reaction to her mentioning of Sandi. “Bye!”

“That was weird…” Quinn remarked to herself as she put up her phone, “Stacy didn’t sound to thrilled when I mentioned Sandi’s name…come to think about it, Tiffany didn’t either. I wonder what’s going on…”

“Mmmm…looking forward to it, baby.” Angie said in a husky voice as she talked to her girlfriend over the phone. “You and me on an isolated piece of beach…the sun rising as we make love…wow! I’m getting hot just thinking about it!”

“Me too, szereto.” Elizaveta purred, “I can’t wait.”

“Well…we won’t have long to wait.” Angie replied, “Just a couple of days.” Her voice then grew even more sultry, “Now…since you’ve got me all hot and bothered, you can tell me what you’re going to do to me once you get me alone…”

 

“Okay, girls!” Jake called out as he handed out the room keys, “This is the key to your room, Daria and Jane…Quinn…here’s your key…I’m afraid you and your friends are going to have to triple up. And Elizaveta and Angie…here’s yours. So, let’s get changed and hit the beach.”

“Come on, Stacy…Tiffany!” Quinn urged, “I can’t wait to try on the new swimsuits we got.”

“Me neither!” Stacy gushed enthusiastically as Tiffany nodded her head in agreement.

“Yeah.” The Eurasian girl agreed, “I don’t look fat at all in the one I got.”

“Come on, baby.” Angie whispered into her lover’s ear, “I can’t wait to see you in that sexy monokini you got.”

“And I can’t wait to see you in your bikini.” Elizaveta whispered back, “Let’s get changed.”

“I guess we should get changed and get this over with.” Daria sighed as she and Jane made their way to their room.

“Hey, amiga…look at it this way.” Jane quipped in response, her lips turning up in a crooked grin, “There should be no lack of stupidity out there for us to make fun of.”

“There is that.” Daria agreed, then added morosely, “Of course that also means that we’re going to be exposed to said stupidity.”

“Again with the negative waves, Moriarty.” Jane snorted, “Come on! Let’s get changed.”

“Grrr…”

 

Walking on to the beach, Quinn smirked as three handsome boys approached her and her friends. A boy with sandy blond hair smiled as he drew nearer, “Hullo, girls…” He called out with an English accent, “I’m Jason and these are my mates—Jonathon and Jeremy.”

“Jon…” A dark haired young man, also speaking with an English accent, said with a smile as he introduced himself, drawing a shy grin from Stacy in return.”

“And I’m Jerry.” The other boy, with chestnut brown hair, announced as he smiled at Tiffany who smiled back.

“As you probably noticed, we’re on vacation.” Jason declared.

“So are we.” Quinn smiled back. “Do you go to school back home?”

“Yeah.” Jason replied, “We all go to the Coal Hill School in London.”

“Cool.” Quinn answered back, “We go to Lawndale.” 

“So…” Jason proposed, “We were going to go catch some waves. Wanna join us?”

Seeing both Tiffany and Stacy nodding their heads in agreement, Quinn smiled back, “Sure…sounds good.”

 

“Let’s find a spot in the shade.” Daria grumbled as she pulled at her blue one-piece. “I hate this.”

“It’s just a swimsuit, Daria.” Jane, wearing a purple bikini and clutching her sketch pad, chuckled as the pair walked on to the beach. “Here…” She exclaimed, pointing at a vacant spot on the beach with a parasol, “Looks like no one’s using that space. Let’s claim it before someone else does.”

“Fine.” Daria replied as the duo spread out their beach towels in the shade under the parasol. Then, just as they settled down, a male voice caught their attention.

“Told you someone would beat us to it.”

“Maybe they’ll share?” The other voice responded.

“I don’t think so.” Daria called back.

“Hey, give us a chance to make our pitch at least.” One of the boys, tanned and dark haired and wearing blue surfer’s trunks responded as his friend, paler and much thinner and with short red hair managed a slight grin.

“Yeah…I promise we’re not serial killers or ax murderers.”

“That’s two strikes against you already.” Jane quipped back with a smirk.

“Oh well.” The well-muscled young man sighed dramatically, “Give us another shot?”

“Ok.” Jane shrugged her shoulders non-committally as Daria violently shook her head.

“I’m Michael…” The tanned well-muscled boy introduced himself.

“And I’m Lenny.” The other boy added in a softer and shier voice.

“Lenny’s a little shy.” Michael declared as he gave his friend a good-natured poke in the ribs. Then, noticing Jane’s sketch pad, he commented, “Artist?”

“What gave me away?” Jane responded with a crooked grin.

“Well…the sketch pad for one thing.” Michael smirked back, “I do a little drawing myself.”

“Yeah.” Jane snorted, “Right.”

“You want proof?” Michael smiled back as he held out his hand, “May I?”

“Be my guest.” Jane responded as she handed the boy her sketchpad and a pencil.

“Thanks.” He replied as he opened the sketchpad to an empty page and then began to draw. After several minutes, he handed the pad back to the dark-haired artist, “Well…did I pass?”

As she gazed down at a very well done drawing of her and Daria, Jane raised her eyebrows, “Damn…that’s not bad.” She commented as Daria responded with a grunt. “All right, young man.” Jane grinned, “You’ve got talent…so…want to join us?”

“Thanks.” Michael smiled back as he sat down next to Jane.

Watching as his friend and Jane engaged in conversation, Lenny turned to Daria and said in a soft voice, “I’m sorry about intruding on you. I told Michael that you looked like you wanted to be left alone.”

“It’s okay.” Daria answered back in an equally soft voice, “But thanks for the thought.” After several moments of silence, the auburn-haired teen cautiously ventured, “Ummm…you don’t impress me as the sort who likes going to the beach.”

“I don’t.” Lenny responded, “Michael dragged me here. If I had my choice, I’d be at the World of the Odd exhibit.”

“Oh?” Daria exclaimed, “Where’s it at?”

“On Beach Drive…just over there.” Lenny replied as he pointed to a white building about a quarter mile away. “Ummm…uhhh…” He stammered, “Would you like to go?”

After several moments of thought, Daria, shaking her head as she noticed Jane was already making for the surf with Michael, the pair walking together hand in hand, responded with a snort, “Sure…why not. Not like I have anything else to do.”

 

“Sexy lady!” Angie exclaimed in a breathy voice as she gazed on her girlfriend wearing a green strapped monokini with a plunging neckline going down almost to her navel and with cutouts on the side strategically placed to show enough skin to be tantalizing while at the same time being barely legal. “How did you get that by your mother and father?”

“They haven’t seen it yet.” Elizaveta smirked as she pirouetted for her lover. Then, seeing her lover wearing a red bikini, she remarked, “You look awful scrumptious too.”

“We’re both hot babes.” Angie laughed as took her girlfriend’s hand in hers, “Come on. I want to show our hotness off to everyone.”

As the pair walked down the beach, their lips turned up in smug grins. “Yep.” Angie quipped as she noticed the boys—and also a few girls—giving the duo appreciative looks as they walked past them, “We’ve got it.”

“So let’s strut it.” Elizaveta laughed. Then, finding a good spot, she and Angie laid down their towels. Taking out her suntan lotion, the young blonde raised her eyebrows in a suggestive gesture. “Do me and I’ll do you…”

“Amy time, baby.” Angie grinned as she knelt down next to her girlfriend and then began to slowly and sensuously rub the lotion on to Elizaveta’s bare skin, making sure to not miss a single spot as she slipped her fingers underneath the suit.

“Whoah…hot!”

Turning her head towards the sound of the voice, Angie saw two suntanned teenage boys wearing surfers baggies and with smug looks on their faces.

“Yeah, man!” The other boy exclaimed, “So…you two like…here by yourselves?”

“Yes.” Angie replied with a frown, “And no…we’re not interested.”

“Don’t know what you’re missing, babes.” The first boy declared in a smarmy voice.

“Not much.” Elizaveta responded curtly as she sat up and smiled at her girlfriend. “Your turn, szereto.”

“Lie down, baby.” Angie replied, ignoring the two boys.

“Come on, Frankie.” The first boy, frustrated at being disregarded, remarked to his friend, “Let’s go. We’re not getting anywhere with these girls.”

“Yeah.” The second boy agreed, speaking loud enough so that the girls could hear him, “They’re probably dykes anyway.”

“You don’t think we were too rough on those boys, do you?” Elizaveta asked as she moaned her pleasure at her girlfriend’s ministrations. “I just had a bad feeling about them.

“I know.” Angie confessed with a sigh as a man wearing a beach police uniform and riding an ATV came up to them. Stopping his vehicle and getting off, he approached the girls. “I did too.” Then, spotting the police officer coming towards them, she whispered, “Looks like we had good reason to be worried.”

“Hey, girls!” He called out as he drew nearer.

“Yes, officer?” Elizaveta responded as both girls focused their attention on the police officer.

“You didn’t happen to spot a pair of young men pass by here, did you?” He then gave a description of the two boys who had tried to proposition the girls.

“As a matter of fact, we did.” Angie replied, “They tried to hit on us, but we told them to get lost. Last we saw of them, they were headed that way.” She said as she pointed in the direction the boys had taken off to. “Why? Did they do something?”

“We’ve had a couple of complaints against them—picking fights and so on.” The officer answered back, not getting into specifics, and then inquired, “Do you want to file a complaint as well?”

“No.” Elizaveta responded, shaking her head. “We didn’t let them get close enough to us to do anything out of line.”

“Good.” The police officer, satisfied, responded, “If they come back, keep away from them and give us a call.”

“Will do, officer.” Angie responded as the police officer turned to return to his vehicle.

“You girls enjoy yourselves and be safe.” The officer waved as he got on his ATV and went on in the direction that Angie had pointed out to him.

“Looks like our instincts were right.” Elizaveta remarked as Angie returned to massaging her back.

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, “So…after we lay out for a bit, wanna go play in the water?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

Giving his wife a leer as he saw her emerge from the bathroom in her swimsuit, Jake growled, “You’ve still got it, honey.”

Licking her lips appreciatively as she eyed her husband wearing swim trunks and a tank-top, Helen purred, “And cut a dashing figure yourself, Jakey.” Playfully fending off her husband’s lustful advances, Helen chuckled, “We’ve got time enough for that later, Jake. Let’s go on to the beach and see what the girls are up to.”

As they walked on to the beach, Helen spotted Quinn and her friends under a pavilion dancing with three boys. “Well…looks like Quinn’s found something to do.”

“Yeah.” Jake grumbled, “Maybe we ought to…”

“We’ll do nothing of the sort, Jake!” Helen announced, “Quinn will be just fine.” Then, her lips turning up in a smile, she added in a conciliatory tone, “Besides, she’s with Tiffany and Stacy.”

“I guess it’ll be okay then.” Jake reluctantly conceded, and then spotted Jane apparently sketching a picture of a posing muscular young man, ‘Looks like Jane found some company too.”

Nodding her head in agreement, Helen then mused, “I wonder where Daria is?”

“I’m sure our girl’s just fine.” Jake remarked, realizing that it was his turn to be the voice of reason. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

“That she does.” Helen’s lips turned up in a slight grin as she regarded the newest addition to the Morgendorffer family currently lying on the beach with her girlfriend, “And it looks like Elizaveta and Angie are doing okay.”

“Yeah.” Jake smiled as he pointed to an unused parasol, “Look…the perfect spot for us.”

“Looks perfect, Jakey.” Helen replied as she took her husband’s hand in hers, “Come on…let’s claim it before someone beats us to it.”

 

“I thought the mummified mermaid was kinda cool.” Lenny remarked as he and Daria left the Oddities Exhibit.

“I was kind of partial to the people pot-pie collection.” Daria responded with a smirk, “Too bad they’re not made out of real people.’

“Yeah.” Lenny chuckled, “That cost them points.” Then, pointing towards a pizza parlor, he proposed, “So…wanna split a pie?”

“Ummm…”

“No strings attached.” Lenny declared in a placating voice, adding, “We’ll split the cost if you want.”

Nodding her head, Daria responded, “All right. Extra meat though.”

“Works for me.” Lenny grinned.

 

“And we’re done!” Jane announced with a flourish as she tore the drawing she had just completed out of her sketch pad and handed it to the boy who had just posed for her.

“Wow!” Michael exclaimed, “You’ve got a good eye for detail.”

“Thank you.” Jane smugly replied, “And you’re a good model.”

“I’ve had plenty of practice.” The boy chuckled. “That’s how I got my start drawing.”

“Oh, I’ve got to hear this.” Jane laughed as she set her sketchpad down. 

“I’ll tell you over burgers and fries…” Michael responded with a grin.

“All right…but you’re buying.”

 

“So, one of my sisters is a blonde cheerleader and the other one is only interested in fashion, boys, and how popular she is.” Daria grumbled before biting into a pizza laden with extra meat and cheese.

“Yeah.” Lenny commiserated, “My brother’s the same way. He doesn’t care about anything unless it involves a football, basketball, or girls.” Taking a bite out of his own pizza, he quipped, “Siblings. Who needs them?”

“Elizaveta’s not so bad.” Daria admitted as she took a sip of soda. “She’s okay just so long as you don’t make her mad or get in her way when she either wants something or is determined to do something. Do that…and she’ll flatten you…literally.” The auburn-haired teen then grimaced, “That and she and my mother are practically best friends.”

“Favorite, huh?” Lenny inquired.

“Not really.” Daria reluctantly conceded. “It’s just that the two of them hit it off so well…I guess it’s because they’re so much alike.”

“Yeah.” Lenny sighed, “I’m not too close with my dad. He wants me to be more like him…you know…athletic and popular. But…I like animals. I want to be a veterinarian.”

“That’s not such a bad goal.” Daria remarked approvingly. “I’m surprised your father’s not behind that.”

“Oh…he doesn’t mind the getting out of the house and working with animals part.” Lenny explained, “It’s just all the schoolwork that goes with it. He says he doesn’t want to pay to send me to veterinary school.”

“That’s stupid.” Daria declared with a frown.

“Tell me about it.” Lenny sighed, “Well…I’m going with or without his help.”

“Good for you.” Daria smiled, “And I’m going to write that bestselling novel.”

Holding up his drink cup, Lenny toasted, “May all our dreams come true.”

“And to hell with anyone standing in our way!” Daria answered, raising her own cup in response.

 

“Hey girls!” Turning towards the voice calling out to them, Elizaveta and Angie noticed two couples waving at them, “You two up for some beach volleyball?”

Looking at her girlfriend, Elizaveta inquired with a grin, “You up for a game or two, szereto?”

“Sure baby.” Angie responded with a laugh, “I need to move around a little anyway…I’m getting a little stiff.”

“Okay.” Elizaveta responded and then called back to the couples as the pair rose to their feet, “Yeah, we’re up for it.” She then introduced herself and her lover, “I’m Elizaveta and this is Angie.”

“Hi!” One of the men, an attractive college student with a Florida Gators t-shirt and sandy-blond hair, replied, “I’m Chris and this here is my girlfriend, Mona.” 

“Hi.” Mona, a dark-haired petite college student wearing a green bikini smiled.

“And I’m Frank…” Another boy, also wearing a Gators t-shirt grinned, “And my lady, Sally.”

“We’ve got a net set up over there.” Sally said in a rich Southern accent. “You guys wanna server first or receive?”

“We’ll receive.” Angie responded

Batting the ball up after Frank had served it over the net, Angie called out to Elizaveta, “It’s all yours, baby!”

“Got it!” Elizaveta shouted as she leaped up and spiked the ball, scoring the point.

“Not bad.” Sally declared as she went back to serve, “But I bet you can’t do it again.”

 

As the Morgendorffer family and friends, their day at the beach concluded, gathered at a beachfront outdoor seafood restaurant to eat dinner, Jake grinned, “So…did everyone have a good time today?”

“Yeah.” Quinn grinned as Tiffany and Stacy nodded their heads in agreement, “We met three cute English boys on vacation and we had fun.”

“That’s good.” Helen nodded her head as she turned to Daria and Jane, “What about you girls?”

“It was okay.” Jane replied, “Michael was pretty good company and not a bad artist.”

“What about you, kiddo?” Jake asked as he turned to Daria, “How was your day?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Daria deadpanned. “All right, I guess. The people pot pies were pretty good.”

“People pot pies!” Quinn exclaimed with a shocked look on her face, “Ewwww…they weren’t really?”

“Of course not, Quinn.” Helen sighed as she shook her head. “They were just a sideshow attraction.”

“Yeah…” Jake interjected with a chuckle, “Like the bearded lady.”

“Bearded lady…Ewwww!”

Turning quickly to Elizaveta and Angie, Helen inquired, “So how was your day girls?”

“Pretty good.” Elizaveta responded, “A couple of seggfej tried to hit on us, but we ran them off and then later on we got into a beach volleyball game.”

“Did you win?” Jake asked.

“We split our match.” Angie responded with a laugh. 

“It was fun.” Elizaveta said, “And we’ve still got tonight.”

“Oh?” Helen exclaimed, “Special plans?”

“Just a quiet walk on the beach.” Elizaveta responded with a smile.

“Yeah.” Angie agreed as she took her lover’s hand in hers. “Just me and my baby.”

As the sun set, the two blondes walked the now almost empty beach hand in hand. “I did have fun, baby.” Angie said in a soft voice as the pair paused to set down behind a dune. “And I can’t think of anyplace I’d rather be than here…right now…with you.”

“I feel the same, szereto.” Elizaveta whispered as she hugged her girlfriend close to her. Gazing at the twilight sky, the young blonde quickly found the object she was looking for. “Look!” She exclaimed as she pointed to a very bright point of light. “Venus.”

“Our special star.” Angie said as she drew her lover closer to her and gave her a tender kiss. “Yeah, I know it’s a planet, but star sounds better.”

“I love you, szereto.”

“Love you too, baby.”


	5. Time to Wake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz gets her memories back and Angie has to make a life-changing decision as they celebrate Elizaveta's 17th birthday.

“Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday to you…Happy Birthday Elizaveta…”

“Blow out the candles, kiddo!” Jake grinned as Helen brought in a chocolate layer cake with seventeen candles.

“Make a wish!” Helen grinned as she set the cake down on the cable.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Elizaveta blew out all the candles with one breath.

“All right!” Angie exclaimed as she gave her lover a kiss on the cheek. “So…what did you wish for baby?”

Blushing, Elizaveta responded with a coy wink, “I’ll tell you later.” Then, turning to her mother, she pleaded, “Ummm…anya…Angie’s anya is visiting her sister this weekend and Angie and I were hoping…”

“You want to stay over at Angie’s this weekend…” Helen finished with a grin.  
]  
“Yeah, Mrs. M.” Angie interjected, “If it’s okay with you and Mr. M. that is…”

“If your mother says it’s okay…” Helen nodded her head, “…then I guess it’s okay with us.”

“Thanks anya…apa!” Elizaveta squealed in glee as she hugged her parents. She then turned to her girlfriend, “Let’s go!”

“Let me duck into the bathroom first.” Angie replied as she dashed upstairs, “Be back in a bit!” Entering the bathroom and closing the door, she took out her cell phone and hit the speed dial. “Jodie? Is everything ready. Great. We’re on our way.” Moments later, returning downstairs, she grabbed her girlfriend by the hand, “See ya later!” Angie waved as she and Elizaveta exited the house. Giving her girlfriend’s hand a squeeze, she remarked, “Come on! We’re going to be late to Jodie’s.”

“Why are we going to Jodie’s again?” Elizaveta inquired as she raised her eyebrows.

“Don’t you remember?” Angie asked with an innocent look on her face, “We’re going to meet Mack at the mall…”

“Oh!” Elizaveta nodded her head, “Okay. I remember now.”

“Good.” Angie responded as a sly grin appeared on her face, “Ready, birthday girl?”

“Ready.” Elizaveta responded as she put on her sunglasses, “Let’s go.”

 

“Angie just called. She’s bringing Elizaveta over now. Everyone get ready!” Jodie called out as the last minute party preparations were completed.

“Come on, Kevvy!” Brittany commanded as she nudged her boyfriend behind the couch.

“Ummm…Britt…” Kevin whispered as he glanced nervously about the room, “Don’t you think it’s awful crowded for us to…you know…”

“We’re not doing that!” The blonde cheerleader exclaimed with an exasperated sigh, “We’re hiding. We going to surprise Elizaveta.”

“That’s why it’s called a surprise party, Kevin.” Nikki let out a breath of air as she and Lisa joined the couple behind the couch. “When Angie brings Elizaveta in, we’re all going to jump up and yell ‘Surprise!’ Got it?”

“Yeah.” Kevin’s lips turned up in a goofy grin.

“Sssshhh…they’re here!” Jodie whispered as the Mack made a production of answering the front door. 

“Hey Angie…Elizaveta!” Mack grinned as he greeted his friends, escorting the girls into the darkened living room. “Come on in.” 

“Why are the lights out?” Elizaveta inquired as Mack flipped on the switch and everyone leaped up and shouted.

“Surprise!”

“Happy birthday, Elizaveta.” Mack grinned as he gave his friend a platonic kiss on the cheek.

“Gotcha.” Angie grinned smugly as she saw the look of delight on her lover’s face.

“Happy Birthday!” Mack’s mother smiled as she brought in a birthday cake with seventeen candles on it.

“Lucky girl.” Angie grinned as Elizaveta took a deep breath to blow out the candles, “Your second cake today.”

“And both chocolate layer.” Elizaveta replied as she cut the cake. “Here, szereto…you get the first slice.”

“So…what next?” Elizaveta asked as she finished her cake.

“I hear they’ve got a new VR game at the arcade.” Jodie suggested, “Galaxy Blast or something like that. It’s supposed to be a game where we can all be officers on a starship and we have to win a fight against a ship crewed by another team.”  
“Sounds like fun.” Elizaveta grinned as she felt a strange anticipatory tingle run and up and down her spine.

“Yeah.” Angie agreed, also feeling anticipation. “Let’s go and play.”

“Works for us!” Nikki and Lisa both exclaimed.

“I get to be the captain!” Kevin called out only to be hushed by his girlfriend.

“No.” Brittany declared, “It’s Elizaveta’s birthday, so she should be the captain.”

“Agreed.” Angie announced as everyone else concurred. The platinum-blonde cheerleader then said, “I want to be the pilot.”

“I want to be first officer.” Mack announced as Jodie took the science officer’s position, Brittany, weapons officer, and the others also announcing their preferences.

“All right then.” Angie grinned, “Let’s go and explore the universe!”

 

Entering the arcade, Elizaveta and her friends quickly found the Galaxy Blast game. As the group drew closer, they were met by a man with brown hair and a receding hair line. “Hello.” He greeted with a smarmy grin.

“You look familiar…” Elizaveta remarked as she cocked her head slightly to the left.

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head in agreement. “I could swear I’ve seen you somewhere before.”

“You might have met my brother.” The man responded, “He owns a curio shop in the Mall of the Millennium. My name is Quintius Quainiallus, but just call me Q.”

“Yeah!” Elizaveta and Angie both exclaimed in unison as they recalled their visit to the shop. “He gave us our bracelets and some cool paintings.” Elizaveta declared and then added in a more thoughtful tone, “There’s something about that painting though…”

“I know.” Angie agreed, her voice tone also more pensive, “I feel the same about the one hanging in my room.”

“What sort of feeling do you get from those paintings?” The man asked leadingly.

“Like it’s important to me.” Elizaveta said in a soft voice that only the man and Angie heard, “That I belong there.”

“I can’t explain it.” Angie replied in an equally low voice. “But I want to be there too.”

“Interesting.” The man commented, “Well…why don’t you come in and put the VR glasses on and we’ll get started.”

“What’s the name of the game?” Elizaveta asked as she and the others did as their host instructed and put on the VR helmet and goggles and then sat in the reclining chairs.

In an voice that was both capricious and yet also vaguely ominous, the attendant replied before snapping his fingers, “The Battle of Caernarvon IV.” Once she heard that name, a chill ran up and down Elizaveta’s spine. “ _Con permiso, Capitan_. The hall is rented, the orchestra engaged. It's now time to see if you can dance.”

 

Elizaveta found herself sitting in the center seat of a starship wearing a uniform that consisted of black pants and jacket with grey shoulders on the jacket and a red shirt beneath. Seated next to her wearing a similar uniform was a man with seal-brown hair and patrician bearing. Angie, also in uniform, sat in what was apparently the pilot’s seat in front of a large viewscreen, seated next to a dusky skinned young woman. On the other side of Elizaveta, a roguishly handsome man with dark hair sat.

“Report.” Elizaveta heard herself command, the words coming out automatically as memories long locked flowed freely. She now remembered everything—who she was, where she came from--everything. She was on the bridge of her starship, USS _Sutherland_ and the people around her were her crew and…her friends.

“Holding station.” The woman next to Angie responded in a Brazilian accent.

“All stations report ready, Captain.” The man with the brown hair reported in a clipped, patrician, tone of voice as his eyes momentarily drifted to an attractive bald-headed woman standing before a console. “Weapons are online and shields firm. Damage control and medical teams are standing by.”

“Thank you, XO.” Elizaveta replied as her eyes shifted momentarily to Angie. Getting out of her chair, she walked over to the pilot’s station and, placing a supportive hand on her lover’s shoulder, bent down and spoke into her ear in a low whisper. “I’m not sure why Q decided to put you here at this time and at this point, but…I’m sorry, szereto. Things are about to get very ugly. You’re going to get a helluva lot of stuff thrown at you and it’s going to come at you very quickly. You’ll have to move and move fast and move without thinking. The helm controls are intuitive—I have a feeling you’ll pick up on them pretty quick. That’ll help you some. Just follow my or Commander Hobson’s orders and if you run into problems, Maria and Sam will help you out. Ok?”

“Yes, Captain.” Angie answered back, sensing that was the correct response as she felt Elizaveta’s hand squeeze her shoulder.

“You can do this, Angie. And after the battle…”

“Battle?” Angie whispered as a note of panic entered her voice.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta whispered back, “It’s going to be a big one and a bad one.” A mournful note tinged her next words, “A lot of good people are going to get hurt or killed soon. I’m sorry Q decided to put you through this. Just…be careful and follow orders. I don’t think Q’s planning on killing or permanently injuring either of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t feel pain. Lots of ways to get hurt in a battle.”

“Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.” Angie responded, maintaining a whisper as her facial expression revealed her worry and concern for her girlfriend.

“Yeah.” Liz nodded her head, “Burns, concussions, lacerations, fractures, wounds from edged weapons, bullets, and energy weapons…you name it…it’s probably happened to me. Later on, if Q hasn’t erased our memories, we’ll talk some more.” She then leaned over again and whispered, “Love you and…Oh…one other thing…” her lips turned up in a slight smile, “While we’re on this ship and I’m wearing this uniform, call me ‘Sir’ or Captain…I don’t like being called Ma’am.”

“Aye, Sir.” Angie responded, her lips turning up in a grin.

“You’re getting the swing of it.” Liz smiled as she once again squeezed her lover’s shoulder. “I’ve got to get back to my seat. Things are about to get very hot. Don’t worry. Angie…you’ll do just fine.” Elizaveta left, giving her lover a final word of encouragement.

“First battle?” The woman seated next to Angie asked.

“Yeah.” Angie replied as a lump formed in her throat.

“Better not screw up.” Ensign Maria Django snorted.

“Take it easy on the rookie, Maria.” A male voice interjected cheerily. Turning her head about, Angie spotted the dark haired man she saw earlier standing beside her. “Don’t mind Maria—she hates everyone she first meets. Ignoring his lover’s muttered, “Asshole,” the man continued, “I’d tell you that you have my seat.” He quipped, his lips turned up in a half smile as he gestured at the chair Angie was sitting on, “But the Captain has me doing something else so you’re elected, Ensign.” He then spoke encouragingly, “You’re a damned good pilot—almost as good as me.” He said with another quirky grin, “Just remember your training and you’ll be okay.”

“Just another day at the office.” Ensign Django quipped under her breath as she gave her systems a final check.

“That’s right, Maria.” Sam joked as he squeezed both ensigns’ shoulders, “The captain’ll get us through this—she always does.”

Hearing the genuine sincerity in the man’s voice and then seeing the look of determination and confidence on the faces of the rest of the crew on the bridge, Angie couldn’t help but feel a measure of pride in her lover and a renewed sense of confidence. Whatever else happened, the one thing she was not going to do, she decided, was let Elizaveta down.

Maria whispered to the dark-haired man. “Don’t forget, you promised me dinner at ‘Rick’s, Sam. No dinner…no nookie.”

Angie barely repressed a snicker at that jibe until a voice brought her back to the matter at hand.

“We’ve got the other captains, Sir.” A Polynesian man announced.

“All right everyone…” Liz announced, speaking from the center chair of her starship, “Sound out…”

Speaking from his concealed position in the outer asteroid belt along with the runabouts Loire and Rhone, Captain Boris Rodenko declared in a deeply Russian accented voice, “ _Scamp_ in position, Elizaveta. We’ll give the Cardies and Jemmies a beating they’ll never forget, _dacha_.”

“I know, _kis apam_.” Liz responded, the Hungarian expression for ‘little father’ immediately drawing Angie’s attention as her girlfriend spoke. “Just…watch yourself out there, Boris.”

“You too.” Captain Rodenko answered back. “We don’t want anything to happen to our favorite wayward angel.”

“Wayward angel?” Elizaveta laughed, “More like soiled dove according to some people.” 

“ _Bozeman’s_ in position, Liz.” Captain Morgan Bateson declared from a point near the north magnetic pole of Caernarvon IV, “We’re ready to start the party…just give the word.”

“Thanks, Morgan.”

“ _Renown_ is in position.” The Vulcan captain T’Mas declared in a calm voice.

“ _Belize_ is beginning transport of evacuees.” Captain Leland Richards, commanding the armed transport, announced.

“Good.” Liz responded, “Remember, Captain. Once the Dominion attack transports draw within transporter range, we’re going to have to activate the transporter buffers on the surface. You’ll have to conduct the evacuation from then on by shuttlecraft.”

“Aye, Captain.” The white bearded former merchant captain replied, “I understand. We’ll get as many off as we can.”

Nodding her head at Richards’ response, Liz once again activated her comm, “You ready, Nyota?”

“Aye, Sir.” The lovely dark-skinned security chief responded, “We’re in position. Don’t worry, Sir…we’ll give ‘em hell when they come.”

Before Liz could respond, Ensign Django called out in a voice that barely concealed her excitement, “They’re here. At least four _Galors_ …several frigates…assault transports…and some Bugs.

“All right, everyone.” Liz announced, “It’s showtime!”

“You heard the lady!” Boris Rodenko declared to his crew from the center seat of the _Scamp_. “Now, let’s show these Regular Fleeters that we Border Dogs can rumble with the best of them!”

A somber Morgan Bateson let out a deep breath as he turned to his executive officer, speaking in a quiet voice, he simply requested, “Take us to Red Alert, Gabe. Looks like we’ve got some shooting to do.”

“Here they come!” Maria cried out as the first elements of the Dominion assault force pierced the Oort Cloud.

“Wait for it…” Elizaveta uttered in a flat, low voice as the enemy armada drew nearer, “Wait until the transports get in.” Seeing that the main enemy fleet had passed, leaving the more vulnerable transports alone in the cloud, Liz dropped her right arm in a slashing motion, “Now!”

The torpedoes set out in the Oort Cloud, activated by the subspace signal sent to them by the Sutherland, homing in on the assault transports and shuttlecraft of the Cardassian fleet, exploded in unison, their proximity fuses triggered by the nearness of the intruding vessels. Smiling in satisfaction as several of the enemy transports and shuttles drifted powerless in the cloud, Shelby activated her comm, “Now, Boris…eat ‘em up.”

“Da.” The _Scamp’s_ skipper acknowledged as he signaled his squadron, “Chase One...attack!” Springing out of the concealment of the far asteroid belt, the antique _Albacore_ -class border cutter, flanked by the runabouts Loire and Rhone, slashed through the disabled transports. “Fire all weapons!” Rodenko bellowed, the adrenaline flowing through his body as red beams lanced from her weapons turrets and photon torpedoes crashed into the still forms of the enemy assault ships. 

His ship shuddering under the impact of weapons fire, the Russian captain heard his tactical officer report, “A squadron of frigates is closing on our position.”

The border cutter shuddering once again as lights flickered, Rodenko ordered, “Time for phase two—hard evasive—NOW!” Watching somberly as the _Rhone_ exploded, Boris rushed to the helm as the console lit up in a shower of sparks, causing both officers manning the station to fall screaming to the deck. Sparing just a moment to look on sadly at their mangled corpses, the Russian border skipper took the pilot’s position at the helm. “Divert power to impulse engines and shields! I’ll shake this pack of _sobla-ebla_! Now move!”

 

Watching as the _Galors_ grew larger in her viewscreen, Liz once again touched her comm, “Captain T’Mas? Are you ready?”

“We are ready.” The Vulcan responded laconically.

“Let’s do this then.” Liz grimly announced as she addressed her helmsman, “Mr. Harmon. Take us into action. Tactical, fire on my orders.” 

Hearing the command to go, Angie, her fingers moving as if they’d already known what to do, danced over the instrument panel as she set in the course and engaged the engines. “Course set in and underway.” She announced, again, feeling for some reasons that she didn’t understand, that that was the correct response.

As the two capital ships moved closer to their Cardassian counterparts, Elizaveta gritted her teeth. “Now!” As both ships unleashed hell in the form of phased and quantum energy at the lead _Galor_ , Liz watched in grim satisfaction as the Cardassian ship, her shields collapsing under the onslaught, twisted under the continued weapons impact until, its hull unable to take anymore, it died in a slow motion explosion.

_Oh my God!_ Angie barely kept from gasping as she saw the large warship on her viewscreen die. _This isn’t the movies or tv! This is real! I’m in a space battle!_

“For what we are about to receive…” Lieutenant Lavelle remarked as he saw two of the remaining _Galor_ s, along with a pair of _Keldons_ , turn their attention towards the Sutherland. Moments later, the _Nebula_ -class cruiser shook under the violent impact of the enemy ships’ bombardment, knocking Lieutenant Rysyl off her seat. Wiping the blood off her brow, the Deltan operations officer reported, “Shields at seventy percent. Weapons and engines still operational. 

“Return fire.” Liz ordered as the Sutherland once again unleashed death, this time at a frigate. Gritting her teeth as the Cardassian ship drifted aimlessly in space, Liz, seeing a second wave of attack transports pierce through the defenses, addressed her tactical officer, “Manny… tell Nyota to get ready, ‘cause they’re coming.”

 

“All right, you heard the Boss!” Nyota Dryer called out from her position at the first defense line. They’ll be landing soon.” Addressing the medtechs and others helping with the civilian evacuations, she yelled, “Get a move on! We’ve got to get those shuttles spaceborne ASAP!”

“Shuttles are filled!” Dr. Murakawa called back as she helped the last of the first wave of evacuees on to the tiny craft.

“All right, get ‘em up!” Nyota replied, saying a silent prayer as the shuttles took off.

“That’s it, Gabe.” Captain Bateson said quietly as his scanners picked up the shuttlecraft climbing out of the atmosphere. “We’ve got to make sure those shuttles get to where they’re supposed to.”

As the old _Soyuz_ -class ship slipped out of its hiding place, the alert skipper spotted a pair of the smaller Jem’Hadar pursuit craft zeroing in on the shuttles. “Catch those bugs.” Bateson ordered tersely as the _Bozeman_ lurched into warp. Accelerating quickly, the border cutter caught the Jem’Hadar just as they were drawing within range of the evacuees. “Fire!” Phasers and photon torpedoes lanced from the obsolete warship, impacting the bug to the left. The gunner’s aim true, the purple and white craft exploded in a brilliant fireball as its partner veered away, turning towards its pursuer. 

Watching dispassionately as the much more advanced bug launched its weapons at the _Bozeman_ , Morgan turned to his first officer, “Gabe. If I don’t get the chance—it’s been nice knowing you. Now…all power to shields and brace yourselves for impact!”

 

“Oh hell…” Sam uttered in a hushed, agonized tone as the Renown exploded under the concentrated fire of a severely damaged _Galor_ cruiser and four _Keldons_. 

_Shit!_ Angie swore under her breath as she saw the cruiser die in the massive explosion. _All those people_.

“Time for prayers later.” Ensign Django muttered as the bridge of the _Sutherland_ shook under the impact of fire from the other two _Galors_. “We’ve got work to do now.”

“Right.” Angie grimly replied as she returned to her duties.

“Our shields are down to twenty percent.” Lieutenant Atoa reported, and we’ve lost phasers three and four.”

“Concentrate fire on that limping _Galor_.” Liz ordered as she saw the ship that had destroyed the _Renown_ turn away from the battle. “If nothing else, we can avenge T’Mas and the rest of her people.”

“Firing.” Atoa grimly replied, nodding his head in silent satisfaction as the _Galor_ exploded. The ship shaking under yet another barrage, Manuele announced in a grave tone, “Shields down.”

Liz then commanded, “Find me another _Galor_ , Angie. If this is it—then we’re going to go down fighting.”

“Aye, Captain.” Angie grimly replied as she altered course for the nearest enemy warship.

 

“They’re landing.” Nyota announced to her troops. Tapping her comm badge, she inquired of the chief medical officer, “Doctor? How many more left?”

“We’re loading up the last of ‘em now.” Denise answered back as she helped a family of four into a waiting shuttle. “Can you buy us the time?”

“I’m going to have to.” Nyota grimly replied as Cardassian soldiers and Jem’Hadar warriors approached. Addressing her men, Lieutenant Dryer cautioned, “Wait until they get into the minefield.” Waiting until as many enemy troops as possible had entered the kill zone, the ebony skinned security officer flashed a toothy grin as she pressed the red button on the small device she held in her hand. “Now!”

Phaser fire erupted simultaneously with the explosions of photonic mines as Cardassians screamed while Jem’Hadar quietly died. The explosions dying down, Nyota gritted her teeth as fresh waves of troops replaced their fallen compatriots, their deliberate walk now turning into a pell-mell charge. “One more burst and then fall back to line two!” Nyota ordered as the skull of the Andorian next to her exploded, spattering the New Kenyan’s face with his blue blood.

Barely maintaining her cool, Nyota waved her arm, ordering, “Fall back,” as Jem’Hadar scaled the makeshift wall, jabbing their blades into the flesh of the retreating Starfleeters.

 

The bridge a smoking ruin, Liz helped an injured Varok up, his green blood staining her uniform jacket. “Auxiliary control room…” the captain ordered, “Now!” Picking Maria up in his arms, Sam carried the groggy ensign, who had just pushed Atris and Jaxa away from a ruptured conduit, and then saved two other crewmen’s lives from a fire caused by the burning circuitry, towards the turbolift as Hobson assisted Anara, and Angie helped a staggering crewman. Watching as the last of the survivors withdrew; Liz barely maintained her footing as the ship shook once again under the impact of the sole surviving _Galor_ and its accompanying frigates. “Come on, Varok…” Liz urged as she helped the elderly Vulcan science officer into the Jeffries tube. “We’ve still got some fight left in us.”

“C’mon Treasure...give me a hand!” Jadon Tol, the Trill chief engineer, called out to his buxom assistant, her face now cut and smudged from blood and smoke. “I’m going to set the matter-anti-matter containment to overload if the self-destruct sequence doesn’t work.” He then looked deep into the young engineer’s eyes “If Captain Shelby or Commander Hobson are gone and it’s looking like the Cardies are going to take this ship, then it’s up to the two of us. Promise me, Treasure, that if I’m not able…that’ll you do what has to be done.”

“I will, Boss.” Treasure said in a soft, determined voice. “Those bastards aren’t getting this ship.”

 

“We’re loading up the last of ‘em now!” Dr. Murakawa called out as Lieutenant Dryer and her surviving troopers prepared for a fresh onslaught from the Jem’Hadar and their Cardassian allies. “Get back here!”

“Not enough time.” Nyota grimly replied, “If we withdraw, they’ll be on us before we could load up and dust off. You and your people get out—we’ll cover for you.”

“Lieutenant…” Denise began only to be cut off by Nyota’s fierce retort.

“Doctor! I’m in charge planetside and I’m ordering you to get the hell off this rock—NOW!”

With a mournful sigh, Dr. Murakawa quietly replied, “Order reluctantly acknowledged. God bless you, Nyota…” the faithful Catholic finished, crossing herself as she said a silent prayer for her friend.

Looking first to the right and then to the left, Nyota Dryer looked on grimly at the advancing Cardassian and Jem’Hadar soldiers. “All right, people…” She said in a quiet, level tone, “Let’s make this a fight they’ll remember for a long time.” 

 

“The last of the shuttles have landed.” 

Nodding his head at his first officer’s report, Captain Richards addressed his helm, “All right, get us out of here…maximum warp.”

“Aye, Sir.” The helmsman acknowledged as the Belize warped out of orbit, disappearing from the carnage in a flash of light.

“Belize has successfully warped out of orbit, Sir.” Commander Hobson, his arm in a sling, reported as he handed his commanding officer an extra phaser. “We’ve lost communications with Captain Rodenko and Captain Bateson and Lieutenant Dryer…”

“I know, Chris…” Liz replied in a soft voice as she gave Angie a somber look. “They’ll be coming for us soon.” She grimly declared as she shoved the spare phaser in her belt. “I want all hands ready to repel boarders. I won’t let this ship fall into their hands. If need be…”

“Understood, Sir. They won’t take the _Sutherland_.”

“Captain!” Angie called out excitedly, “The enemy…they’re falling back…”

“Allied ships entering system.” Lieutenant Rysyl declared, “Klingons. Captain K’Temoc from the _T’Ong_ is hailing us.”

“Put him on.” Liz replied as she faced the small viewscreen, “It’s time for us to count our dead.”

 

Suddenly, Angie found herself sitting on a comfortable leather couch in a very luxuriously furnished office. Looking about, she took in all the paintings on the walls and then smiled as she at once recognized the person sitting on the edge of the desk.

“Hi Angie.” Liz smiled warmly at her girlfriend, “Welcome to my ready room.” She remarked as she rummaged through the desk drawers, “I wonder if Q remembered.” Her smile growing wider as she took out a crystal decanter containing a blue liquid and two slender glasses, she exclaimed, “He did remember!” Pouring the blue liquid into the glasses, Liz walked over to the couch and offered a glass to her lover before sitting down on the couch next to her. “Romulan ale.” She explained, “Breathe it first and then slowly sip it. It’s got quite a kick.”

“You’re right.” Angie gasped as she took a tentative swallow of the smooth liqueur. “It’s very good.”

“And very illegal in the Federation.” Elizaveta laughed.

“So…how did you get your hands on it?” Angie queried with a crooked grin.

“I have my connections.” Liz responded. Then, her smile vanishing, she said in a grave tone, “I know you have some questions.”

“Yeah.” Angie nodded her head, “That battle we were in…that really happened, didn’t it?”

“Yes.” Liz nodded her head, her voice softening, “The real battle happened several years ago for me…during the Dominion War. I was ordered to lead a scraped together task force to Caernarvon IV to cover the evacuation of the civilians in the system before the Dominion could overrun it.”

“You covered the evacuation…but…” Angie began only to be interrupted by her lover.

“We paid a very high price for it.”

“How bad?” Angie asked.

“Three hundred on the _Sutherland_.” Elizaveta responded as she brushed back a tear, “About half my crew. Seven hundred and fifty on the _Renown_. Twenty-five percent on the _Bozeman_ , and Boris lost half his crew on the _Scamp_. We also lost the _Rhone_ and Nyota and her people on the ground. It was bloody. That battle left its mark on all of us.” She shook her head, “I wonder why Q took us to this battle. What point was he trying to make?”

“I think I know.” Angie whispered. “That time at the mall when we got the bracelets…almost all my dreams recently involved me making a choice…”

“Very good. I was right about there being something special about you.”

“Q.” Liz exclaimed as the cosmic entity appeared wearing a Starfleet uniform and holding a champagne flute in his hand. “About time you decided to show up. So…why here and now?”

“You’re going home soon, Liz, mon cheri.” Q responded, “It was time to unlock your memories. The best way to do that, my dear, was to throw you into the deep end and force you to swim and the only way to do that was by bringing you to a particularly important point in your life.”

“Caernarvon IV.” Liz exhaled.

“Right.” Q nodded his head. “Even after all this time, that battle has stayed in your mind. You keep dwelling on it and anguishing over it…not healthy, mon cheri.” Q remarked in a voice that seemed genuinely concerned.

“So…you’re not going to wipe our memories this time?” Liz asked.

“No.” Q responded, “When you return to Lawndale, you will know who and what you are and you…” He said, turning his attention to Angie, “Will remember everything too.”

“Because I have to make a choice.” Angie concluded.

“Right.” Q affirmed, “And it’s a choice that once made, you won’t be able to take back. You are going to have to decide whether to stay in Lawndale and live a nice, comfortable life teaching history and being an assistant cheerleading coach at Lawndale High and living with an attractive woman whom you’ll eventually marry or…”

“Going to Elizaveta’s universe.” Angie finished and then smiled, “There’s no contest. I want to travel to the stars. I want to see what’s out there.”

“Even after what you’ve experienced?” Q inquired, pointing out, “What you just went through was only a very small taste of how bad things can get out there. So…before giving me your final answer…be sure…very sure.”

“He’s right.” Liz further cautioned, “There are things out there that make Caernarvon IV look like a walk in the park by comparison. Might be better for you to stay in Lawndale. At least you’ll be with your mother and Brittany and you’ll eventually meet someone you can love and be with. You see…” She declared with a note of sadness and regret in her voice, “I can’t promise you that what we have now we’ll have on the other side. Odds are, we won’t.”

“I know.” Angie replied as she held Elizaveta’s hands in hers. “But I’m willing to take my chances.”

“Someone close to me once gave me some very good advice.” Elizaveta said, “Never promise more than you’re willing to give. While we’re in Lawndale, I’ll always be with you…” She promised, “But when we get back to my home…well…you’re going to discover I have something of a reputation as a…I guess you could say party girl…although I have been called whore, slut, and a bunch of other names by people. You see, I’m not the forever and ever sort.”

“I don’t care.” Angie answered back, “I just want you to answer one question before I give Q my final answer.” Fixing Elizaveta’s eyes in her gaze, she then asked, “Do you love me?”

“Yes.” Liz answered back, her eyes never wavering from her lover’s. “I do. I never thought I would love anyone again after Erika, but you…you gave me a second chance at love. You gave me a very special gift. No matter what happens, I will always love you.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Angie responded, her lips turning up in a warm smile. Turning to Q, she declared, “I’ve made my decision and it’s final. “When it’s time, I’m going to the other universe. Whatever happens when I get there, will happen.”

Nodding his head in approval, Q answered back, “You know…I like you. You’ve got spunk. Just like our Liz. Very good. When it’s time, you’ll go too.”

“How soon before…” Liz inquired only to be interrupted by her host.

“Let’s just say you should say your goodbyes to your friends and loved ones in Lawndale as soon as you can and don’t make any plans for the coming school year.” Q replied, “It won’t be much longer. Days…maybe even hours…Lawndale time.”

“I need to tell Mom…” Angie shook her head as her lips turned up in a rueful grin, “She’s never going to believe it.”

“We’ll find a way to make her…to make all of them…believe.” Liz replied with a smile, “What? You thought I’d let you go through this alone?”

Looking down at the two women, Q declared, “It’s time for you two to return now. Get ready…say your farewells because graduation day is coming.”

 

Taking the VR glasses off, Angie and Elizaveta both looked at each other. “Do you remember?” Angie asked her lover.

“Yes.” Liz responded, “I remember everything.” She then lowered her voice, “My name is Elizabeth Paula Shelby. My mother is Anna Bathory-Wesley and my father Philip Shelby, and I am a Starfleet captain in command of USS _Sutherland_ and I am madly and passionately in love with you.”

“I remember too.” Angie replied as both girls turned in the direction of the shout coming from one of their friends.

“That was so cool!” Kevin exclaimed, “It was like I was really there!”

“Me too!” Brittany squealed, then turned to her best friend, “But I didn’t see you or Elizaveta there, Angie.”

“Yeah…” Nikki remarked, “Me and Lisa didn’t see you two…or anyone else for that matter.”

“I guess the experience was different for different people.” Angie replied.

“Yeah.” Elizaveta agreed, “Maybe the game puts the players in different instances to avoid stressing the system.”

“That makes sense.” Jodie nodded her head, accepting her friend’s explanation. “So…did you two have fun?”

“It was…different.” Angie replied as she took Elizaveta’s hand in hers. Then, her lips turned up in a sly grin, “Now…if you all don’t mind, I’m going to kidnap the birthday girl…I’ve got a very special present for her and you all are most definitely not invited for the unwrapping.” 

“You two have fun!” Mack exclaimed with a laugh as the girls waved goodbye, “We’ll see you tomorrow!”

Finally reaching her home, Angie led her lover by the hand upstairs to her room door. Then, gently shaking her head, she said in a sultry voice, “Not yet. Let me get everything ready. Then I’ll let you in and you can unwrap your present.” Kissing Elizaveta on the lips, she teased, “Just stay there and look pretty. I’ll be right back.”

“Hurry up.” Liz responded, returning her girlfriend’s kiss.

After several moments, Angie opened her door, letting her fellow blonde in. “Like what you see?” Angie grinned as she let fall the trench coat she was wearing to reveal her wearing absolutely nothing except for three blue bows strategically placed and a blue ribbon wrapped around her waist keeping the third bow secure.

Licking her lips lasciviously, Liz purred, “Can I unwrap my present now.”

Angie growled sensuously as Elizaveta slowly removed the bows, “Happy Birthday, baby.”

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank WildDogJJ for allowing me to use his version of Helen's mother, Emma Barksdale, in this story. I know that in canon, Helen's mother did not appear at the wedding, but Emma is just too cool a character to pass up on a chance of using. The thing also is, the addition of Elizaveta and with Angie becoming a major character and involved with Elizaveta, I will be diverging more and more from canon--I have to. These characters and their relationship are influencing events. In the last story, Angie even admits that things would have been drastically different had she not met Elizaveta. At the same time, I want to try the best I can to stick with the spirit of canon, but at the same time, if I have the characters not react to the changed circumstances, that would make them wooden and robotic. My wish and hope is that you will stick around for their journeys in this alternate universe. One of the things I also tried to do was to get away from the St. Amy trope--while a great character, if you think about it, she really did pour gasoline on the fire at the wedding and then just took off with Daria just before the explosion--not a very saintly act. Also, one of the things that surprised me while writing this was how Elizaveta and Helen's relationship evolved. I never intended for them to get that close, but the characters took me there. Elizaveta is intensely loyal to Helen and besides feeling a strong sense of gratitude towards her, genuinely likes her, and the feeling is mutual. Helen doesn't favor her, but their relationship is closer than the relationship that she has with natural daughters--something that troubles her deeply.


End file.
